文書

文書

1. official document; official correspondence; official dispatch

   外交文書／外交文书  ―  wàijiāo wénshū  ―  diplomatic correspondence

2. (literary) secretary
3. (literary) written language; writing; script
4. (literary) books; works

• (official document): 公文 (gōngwén)

From Middle Chinese compound 文書 (*miən *shiu). Compare modern Chinese 文書 / 文书 (wénshū).

The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing. Now the most common reading for this term.

• (Tokyo) ぶんしょ (Atamadaka – )^[1]
• IPA^(key):

文(ぶん)書(しょ) • (bunsho) 

1. a document, a written record

   文書(ぶんしょ)でお問(と)い合(あ)わせください。

   Bunsho de otoiawase kudasai.

   Please contact us in writing.

   物語(ものがたり)を丸(まる)ごと文書(ぶんしょ)に書(か)き留(と)めた。

   Monogatari o marugoto bunsho ni kakitometa.

   She wrote down the whole story. / She got the whole story down on paper.

2. a letter, an epistle

   文書(ぶんしょ)を頻繁(ひんぱん)に交(か)わしていた。

   Bunsho o hinpan ni kawashite ita.

   They frequently exchanged letters.

• (writing): 文章
• (letter, epistle): 手紙

From Middle Chinese compound 文書 (*miən *shiu), with rendaku for the 書 character. The sho changes to jo as an instance of rendaku (連濁). Compare modern Chinese 文書 / 文书 (wénshū).

The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing. Less common reading in modern Japanese.

• (Tokyo) もんじょ (Atamadaka – )^[1]
• IPA^(key):

文(もん)書(じょ) • (monjo) 

1. a document
2. (in palaeography) a written text between two parties

• 古文書(こもんじょ) (komonjo): an ancient document

Archaic alteration of monjo above.

• IPA^(key):

文(もん)書(ぞ) • (monzo) 

1. (archaic) a document
2. (archaic) (in palaeography) a written text between two parties

Compound of 文 (fumi, “writing; a letter, an epistle”) +‎ 書 (kaki, “writing”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 書く kaku, “to write”).^[2] The kaki changes to gaki as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

• IPA^(key):

文(ふみ)書(がき) • (fumigaki) 

1. (archaic) the act of writing of a letter or correspondence
2. (archaic) the writing in a letter or correspondence, especially the style or appearance
   • c. 1001–1014, Murasaki Shikibu, Genji Monogatari (text here):

     古代なる御文書きなれど

     こだいなるおおむふみがきなれど

     Kodai naru ōmu-fumigaki naredo

     The writing is old-fashioned, but...