天津麻羅
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word 天津麻羅. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word 天津麻羅, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say 天津麻羅 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word 天津麻羅 you have here. The definition of the word 天津麻羅 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of天津麻羅, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Japanese
| Kanji in this term | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 天 | 津 | 麻 | 羅 |
| あま Grade: 1 |
つ Grade: S |
ま Grade: S |
ら Grade: S |
| kun'yomi | tōon | kan'on | |
Etymology
Phrase consisting of 天 (ama, “heaven”) + つ (tsu, Old Japanese possessive particle) + まら (mara). The 津 is ateji. The mara portion is of unknown origin, but theories include:
- Alteration from 目占 (meura, “eye divination”), suggesting one-eyed, from how a smith will visually check the temperature of the working metal by looking at it with one eye, or possibly from the way that many smiths lose an eye in the course of their work.
- From a Mongolian word mara meaning iron.
- From Sanskrit-derived Buddhist term 摩羅 (mara, “penis”), by metaphor for a smith's hammer.
The second theory is problematic, as there does not appear to be any Mongolian term with a pronunciation similar to mara that means iron, or even steel or metal or smith. The third theory is problematic as the Buddhist term came into Japanese later than the formative period for myths naming Amatsumara. Thus, if the first theory is accepted as the most likely, Amatsumara is likely the same god as 天目一個 (Amanomahitotsu, literally “heaven's one-eyed”).
Pronunciation
Proper noun
天津麻羅 or 天津麻羅 • (Amatsumara)
- (Japanese mythology) Amatsumara, the Japanese god of the forge, metalcraft, and blacksmithing