ひげ

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Japanese

 ひげ on Japanese Wikipedia

Etymology 1

Alternative spellings


From Old Japanese.

The ge element is likely related to (ke, hair, fur), but further etymology is uncertain. Possibilities include:

  • Shift from hohoge ( (hoho, cheek) + (ke)) or from hirege ( (hire, fin) + (ke)). Both theories are unlikely unless the term originally referred only to cheek hair.[1]
  • Shift from hirakuke (開く (hiraku, to open) + (ke)), literally, hair of the opening. This would include other hair around the mouth, although “opening” being used to mean the mouth is unlikely.[1]
  • Shift from hege ( (he) + (ke)) or herige ( (heri, edge) + (ke)), literally, edge hair. Compare (kuchiberi) being from (kuchi, mouth) + (heri), literally, mouth edge.[1]
  • The hi element being cognate with Korean (ip, mouth).[1]

First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.[2]

Pronunciation

Noun

ひげ (hige

  1. (broadly) facial hair on the upper lip region, the chin, and the cheeks
    ひげ(たくわ)えるhige o takuwaeruto grow facial hair
    ひげ()たるhige o ataruto shave one's face
    1. : mustache
      Synonym: 口髭 (kuchihige)
    2. : beard, goatee (chin hair)
      Synonym: 顎鬚 (agohige)
    3. : sideburns, whiskers (cheek hair)
      Synonym: 頬髯 (hōhige)
  2. (figurative) whiskers (of animals)
    • 190506, Natsume Sōseki, I Am a Cat (text here)
      (かれ)(はな)(さき)からぴんと(つっ)()っている(なが)(ひげ)をびりびりと(ふる)わせて()(じょう)(わら)った。
      Kare no hana no saki kara pin to tsuppatteiru nagai hige o biribiri to furuwasete hijō ni waratta.
      He stuck out his whiskers and laughed so hard that they trembled.
  3. (figurative) antennae (of insects)
  4. (figurative) corn silk
Usage notes
  • Different senses are specified by location (e.g. 口髭 (kuchihige, mustache)) or by use of different kanji—the mustache is , the chin hair is , and the cheek hair is .
  • When written using kana alone, vaguely refers to the mustache, the chin hair, and the cheek hair as a whole without distinguishing.
Derived terms
Idioms
Proverbs

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of ひげ – see the following entry.
卑下
humility
to humble oneself
(This term, ひげ (hige), is the hiragana spelling of the above term.)
For a list of all kanji read as ひげ, see Category:Japanese kanji read as ひげ.)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 髭/鬚/髯/ひげ”, in 語源由来辞典 (Gogen Yurai Jiten, Etymology Derivation Dictionary) (in Japanese), 2003–2024.
  2. ^ 髭・鬚・髯”, 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