黄泉
Chinese
| For pronunciation and definitions of 黄泉 – see 黃泉 (“underground spring; underworld; the land of the dead”). (This term, 黄泉, is the simplified form of 黃泉.) |
Notes:
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Japanese
Etymology 1
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 黄 | 泉 |
| Grade: 2 | Grade: 6 |
| Irregular | |
⟨yo2mo2⟩ → */jəmə/ → ⟨yo2mo⟩ → */jəmo/ → /jomo/
From Old Japanese, first attested in the Kojiki, the oldest extant historical record of ancient Japan, compiled in 712 CE. Appears to be the older combining form of yomi (see below).
The ablaut or apophonic form of cognate 山 (yama, “mountain”). Mountains were often used as a place to bury the dead and were strongly associated with the afterlife. (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)
The kanji spelling is jukujikun (熟字訓), borrowed from Chinese 黃泉 (literally “yellow springs”), incorporating the underworld from Chinese mythology.
Noun
黄泉 (shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 黃泉, hiragana よも, rōmaji yomo)
- (Shinto, archaic) the land of the dead; the afterworld, underworld
Usage notes
- Takes the Old Japanese possessive particle つ (tsu), as in the phrase 黄泉つ (yomo tsu).
Derived terms
- 黄泉つ (yomo tsu)
- 黄泉つ軍 (yomo tsu ikusa, “army of the dead”)
- 黄泉つ神 (yomo tsu kami, “god of the dead”)
- 黄泉国, 黄泉つ国 (yomo tsu kuni, “land of the dead”)
- 黄泉醜女, 黄泉つ醜女 (yomo tsu shikome, “demoness inhabitant of the land of the dead”)
- 黄泉つ平坂 (yomo tsu hirasaka, “hills of the dead, lying between this world and the afterlife”)
- 黄泉竈食, 黄泉つ竈食い (yomo tsu hegui, “eating from the kitchen of the dead → dying, death”)
Etymology 2
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 黄 | 泉 |
| Grade: 2 | Grade: 6 |
| Irregular | |
⟨yo2mi2⟩ → */jəmwi/ → /jomi/
From Old Japanese, first attested in the Kojiki (712 CE) alongside its combining form yomo (see above).
Either the ablaut or apophonic form of yomo, or a shift from yomo with the fusion of ancient nominal particle い (i). Compare the development of 神 (kamu, “god, spirit”, bound form occurring in compounds) + い (i) → 神 (kami, “god, spirit”, standalone noun form), or 木 (ko, “tree”, bound form occurring in compounds) + い (i) → 木 (ki, “tree”, standalone noun form).
The kanji spelling is jukujikun (熟字訓), borrowed from Chinese 黃泉 (literally “yellow springs”), incorporating the underworld from Chinese mythology.
Noun
黄泉 (shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 黃泉, hiragana よみ, rōmaji yomi)
- (Shinto) the land of the dead; the afterworld, underworld
- Synonyms: 泉下 (senka), 冥土 (meido), 冥府 (meifu), 黄泉路 (yomiji), 黄泉国 (yomo tsu kuni, yomi no kuni)
Derived terms
- 蘇る, 甦る (yomigaeru, “to return from the land of the dead → to be reborn”)
- 黄泉の国 (yomi-no-kuni, “land of the dead”)
- 黄泉の旅人 (yomi no tabibito, “traveler to the land of the dead → someone who has died”)
- 黄泉戸, 黄泉門 (yomi-do, “entrance to the land of the dead”)
- 黄泉, 黄泉路 (yomiji, “road to the land of the dead”)
Etymology 3
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 黄 | 泉 |
| Grade: 2 | Grade: 6 |
| Irregular | |
Compound of 黄泉 (yomi, “land of the dead, underworld”, see above) + 路 (chi, “road”). The chi changes to ji as an instance of rendaku (連濁).
The kanji spelling reflects the extension of the sense from "the road to the underworld" to '"the underworld" itself.
Pronunciation
Noun
黄泉 (shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 黃泉, hiragana よみじ, rōmaji yomiji, historical hiragana よみぢ)
- Alternative spelling of 黄泉路 (yomiji): the road to the land of the dead; by extension, the underworld itself
Derived terms
- 黄泉帰り (yomiji-gaeri, “return from the underworld; resurrection, revival”)
- 黄泉鳥 (yomiji-dori): alternative name for 虎鶫 (toratsugumi): scaly thrush (Zoothera dauma)
Etymology 4
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 黄 | 泉 |
| こう Grade: 2 |
せん Grade: 6 |
| on’yomi | |
/kwau sen/ → /kwɔːseɴ/ → /kɔːseɴ/ → /koːseɴ/
From Chinese 黃泉 (literally “yellow springs”), date of borrowing unknown.
Noun
黄泉 (shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 黃泉, hiragana こうせん, rōmaji kōsen, historical hiragana くわうせん)
- an underground spring
- the underworld, the land of the dead
- Synonyms: 冥土 (meido), 黄泉路 (yomiji)
Derived terms
Proverbs
- 黄泉の路上老少無し (kōsen no rojō rōshō nashi, “on the road to the land of the dead, there is no old or young → death comes to all, regardless of age”)