鬼神

鬼神

1. ghosts and spirits; supernatural beings

   迷信鬼神  ―  míxìn guǐshén  ―  to be superstitious about ghosts and spirits

   • 鬼神害盈而福謙，人道惡盈而好謙。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     鬼神害盈而福谦，人道恶盈而好谦。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: I Ching, 11^th – 8^th century BCE

     Guǐshén hài yíng ér fú qiān, réndào wù yíng ér hào qiān.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 可憐夜半虛前席，不問蒼生問鬼神。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     可怜夜半虚前席，不问苍生问鬼神。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: 9th century, Li Shangyin, 賈生

     Kělián yèbàn xū qián xí, bù wèn cāngshēng wèn guǐshén.

     Such a pity it is that the emperor left his seat empty at midnight, yet asking not about his people but about the supernatural.

From Middle Chinese 鬼神 (MC kjw+jX zyin, “devil, devilish + god, spirit”).

• (Tokyo) きじん (Heiban – )^[1]
• (Tokyo) きじん (Atamadaka – )^[1]
• IPA^(key):

• IPA^(key):

鬼(き)神(じん) or 鬼(き)神(しん) • (kijin or kishin) 

1. a fierce god or spirit
2. all of the spirits and souls and gods of the world
3. (Buddhism) someone with superhuman power or ability, such as Śakra, the ruler of heaven, or a rakshasa or demon

Compound of 鬼 (oni, “devil, demon, malevolent spirit”) +‎ 神 (kami, “spirit, god”).^[2][1] The kami changes to gami as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

The term may have arisen as the native-Japanese reading of the Middle Chinese derived term kijin above.^[2] Found in the Kokin Wakashū, published in roughly 905 CE.

• (Tokyo) おにがみ (Nakadaka – )^[1]
• (Tokyo) おにがみ (Heiban – )^[1]
• IPA^(key):

鬼(おに)神(がみ) • (onigami) 

1. an invisible spirit, particularly a fierce one

鬼神 • (gwisin) (hangeul 귀신)

1. hanja form^? of 귀신 (“god, ghost, or spirit”)

鬼神

1. chữ Hán form of quỷ thần (“god, ghost, or spirit”).