独楽

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See also: 獨樂

Japanese

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独楽 (koma, komatsuburi, komatsukuri, tsumukuri, dokuraku): a collection of spinning tops.

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
Grade: 5 Grade: 2
irregular
Alternative spelling
獨樂 (kyūjitai)

Appears to be a shortening of older reading komatsukuri[1] or komatsuburi[1][2] (see below).

The shorter form koma is now the most common reading. The kanji spelling is an example of jukujikun (熟字訓).

Pronunciation

Noun

独楽(こま) (koma

  1. a spinning top
  2. (by extension) a rigid object that can rotate freely around a fixed point
  3. a 家紋 (kamon, family crest) in the form or shape of a spinning top
  4. a hexagonal or octagonal top, decorated with images and/or writing, used for gambling
    Synonym: 御花独楽 (ohanagoma)
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
Grade: 5 Grade: 2
irregular
Alternative spelling
獨樂 (kyūjitai)

Older form of koma above.

Compound of 高麗 (Koma, Goryeo; Korea; foreign lands) +‎ つぶり (tsuburi, round thing, cognate with 円ら (tsubura), “round”).[1][2]

Pronunciation

Noun

独楽(こまつぶり) (komatsuburi

  1. (archaic, possibly obsolete) Same as こま (koma) above

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
Grade: 5 Grade: 2
irregular
Alternative spelling
獨樂 (kyūjitai)

Additional older form of koma above, attested in the Wamyō Ruijushō (938 CE).

Compound of 高麗 (Koma, Goryeo; Korea; foreign lands) +‎ 作り (tsukuri, making; made thing, the (れん)(よう)(けい) (ren'yōkei, stem or continuative form) of the verb (つく) (tsukuru, to make)).[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

独楽(こまつくり) (komatsukuri

  1. (archaic, possibly obsolete) Same as こま (koma) above

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
Grade: 5 Grade: 2
irregular
Alternative spelling
獨樂 (kyūjitai)

Ancient alternative to koma above. Probably from 紡錘 (tsumu, a spindle, root of the verb 紡む (tsumugu), “to spin thread or yarn) +‎ 繰り (kuri, winding, the (れん)(よう)(けい) (ren'yōkei, stem or continuative form) of the verb () (kuru, to wind something onto something else)).[2][3]

Occasionally also encountered with rendaku as tsumuguri.

Pronunciation

Noun

独楽(つむくり) (tsumukuri

  1. (archaic, possibly obsolete) Same as こま (koma) above

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
どく
Grade: 5
らく
Grade: 2
goon
Alternative spelling
獨樂 (kyūjitai)

From Middle Chinese 獨樂 (MC duwk lak).

Pronunciation

Adjective

(どく)(らく) (dokuraku

  1. fun or entertaining for one person alone
Usage notes

Used attributively with the particle (no).

Noun

(どく)(らく) (dokuraku

  1. something fun or entertaining for one person alone
  2. (uncommon) Same as こま (koma) above

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ^ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN