Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
神 | 酒 |
しん Grade: 3 |
しゅ Grade: 3 |
on'yomi |
Alternative spelling |
---|
神酒 (kyūjitai) |
Possibly from Middle Chinese compound 神酒 (ʑiɪn t͡sɨuX, literally “god + wine”).
Alternatively, coined in Japan of Middle Chinese-derived elements, as a compound of 神 (shin, “god, spirit”) + 酒 (shu, “wine, liquor, alcohol”).
The individual character readings are kan'on shin + goon shu, suggesting either an innovation in the reading after borrowing, or a Japanese coinage.
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
神 | 酒 |
み Grade: 3 |
き Grade: 3 |
kun'yomi |
Alternative spellings |
---|
神酒 (kyūjitai) 御酒 |
From Old Japanese 御酒 (mi1ki1). Appears in the Kojiki of 712 CE. In turn, from Proto-Japonic *mi-ki.
Compound of 神 (mi, “honorific prefix used in spiritual contexts”) + 酒 (ki, “wine, liquor, alcohol”, ancient root, not found in many words).[1][2][3]
In Shinto contexts, often prefixed with the honorific o- as 御神酒, 大御酒 (omiki), or ō- “great” as 大神酒 (ōmiki).
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
神 | 酒 |
み Grade: 3 |
わ Grade: 3 |
irregular |
Alternative spellings |
---|
神酒 (kyūjitai) 御酒 |
From Old Japanese. Appears in the Man'yōshū of 759 CE. Compound of 神 (mi, “honorific prefix used in spiritual contexts”) + わ (wa, a morpheme of uncertain derivation).[1][2][3] The final wa may be related to 泡 (awa, “bubble”) in reference to the bubbles of fermentation (compare 泡盛 (awamori, “Okinawan rice-based strong spirits”, literally “lots of bubbles”)), but this is only speculation.
The miwa reading appears to be obsolete.