黒坊

/kuroboː/ → /kuroɴbo/

Shift from older kurobō reading, with the medial /b/ undergoing emphasis by means of an excrescent nasal. Compare あまり (amari) and あんまり (anmari), どぶり (doburi) and どんぶり (donburi).

First attested in 1651.^[1]

• (Tokyo) くろんぼー (Heiban – )^[2][3]
• IPA^(key):

黒(くろん)坊(ぼう) • (kuronbō) ^{←くろんばう (kuronbau)?}

1. someone with temporarily dark skin, such as due to a suntan or being dirty
2. an ear of grain that has turned black due to infection by smut

   Synonym: 黒穂 (kurobo, literally “black + grain ear”)

3. (derogatory) a black person

   Synonym: (not derogatory) 黒人 (kokujin)

4. (theater, kabuki) a role in a later part of a performance, played by someone dressed in black as a stagehand; the person playing such a role

   Synonym: 黒子 (kuroko)

5. a monk dressed in black robes

   Coordinate term: 坊主 (bōzu, “monk”)

/kuroɴboː/ → /kuroɴbo/

Shift from kuronbō reading, shortening the final vowel.

First attested in 1702.^[1]

• (Tokyo) くろんぼ (Heiban – )^[3]
• IPA^(key):

黒(くろん)坊(ぼ) • (kuronbo) 

1. (derogatory) a black person

   Synonym: (not derogatory) 黒人 (kokujin)

2. a cricket

   Synonym: 蟋蟀 (kōrogi)

*/kurobau/ → /kurobɔː/ → /kuroboː/

Compound of 黒 (kuro, “black”) +‎ 坊 (bō, “boy”). First attested in the 1500s.

This reading appears to no longer be in use, and it is often either not included at all in modern Japanese dictionaries,^[2][3][4] or treated as an archaic additional reading.^[1]

• (Tokyo) くろぼー (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

黒(くろ)坊(ぼう) • (kurobō) ^{←くろばう (kurobau)?}

1. (archaic, derogatory) a black person