肥後守

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Japanese

Kanji in this term

Grade: 5
ご(の)
Grade: 2
かみ
Grade: 3
kan'on kan'yōon kun'yomi
Alternative spelling
肥後の守
肥後守 (Higo no Kami): a style of Japanese pocketknife.
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Etymology

Compound of 肥後 (Higo, Higo Province, corresponding to modern Kumamoto Prefecture) +‎ (no, possessive particle) +‎ (kami, governor (of a province)). Coined as part of the Ritsuryō system of the late 600s and early 700s.

The knife sense arose from this term being used as a trademark for a specific brand of pocketknife, originally produced by former swordmakers in Kumamoto Prefecture.[1] This brand name then became used for this style of pocketknife in general (compare usage of English kleenex or aspirin). This sense is first cited in 1931.[2]

Pronunciation

Noun

()(ごの)(かみ) (Higo no Kami

  1. (history, government) the Governor of Higo
  2. a type of Japanese folding pocketknife

References

  1. ^ 肥後守”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
  2. ^ 肥後守”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
  3. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN