故郷

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See also: 故鄉, 故鄕, and 故乡

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
故 郷
こ
Grade: 5 		きょう
Grade: 6
kan'on
Alternative spellings
故鄕 (kyūjitai)
古郷

/kokʲau/ → /kokʲɔː/ → /kokʲoː/

From Middle Chinese 故鄉 (MC kuH xjang).

Pronunciation

Noun

故(こ)郷(きょう) • (kokyō) ←こきやう (kokyau)?

  1. a hometown, homeland
    Synonyms: 郷里 (kyōri), 里 (sato)
Derived terms
Idioms
See also

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
故 郷
ふる
Grade: 5 		さと
Grade: 6
irregular kun'yomi
Alternative spelling
故鄕 (kyūjitai)
For pronunciation and definitions of 故郷 – see the following entry.
【ふるさと】
a homeland, hometown (place one was born and/or raised)
a familiar place one has lived, stayed, or visited in the past
an ancient city, usually crumbling or already in ruins, that once prospered
(figurative) a holy ground
(archaic) one's house or home
(slang) female genitalia
Alternative spellings
古里, 故里
(This term, 故郷, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
故 郷
くに
Grade: 5 Grade: 6
jukujikun
Alternative spelling
故鄕 (kyūjitai)

Compare the senses of “sovereign state” and “rural area” in English country.

Noun

故郷(くに) • (kuni) 

  1. (poetic) Alternative spelling of 国 (kuni): one's hometown or birthplace
    • 1902, Uchida Roan, Making Many Different Faces in Society (Impoverished Working Student)
      故郷(くに)を出(で)る時(とき)は矢(や)張(はり)人(ひと)並(なみ)に学(がく)若(も)し成(な)らずんば死(し)すとも帰(かえ)らずと力(りき)んだが
      Kuni o deru toki wa yahari hitonami ni gaku moshi narazunba shi su tomo kaerazu to rikinda ga
      It was at the time when I left my home, as with the average person, I bore the “if he fails to acquire learning, he must never return even though he dies” mentality.
    • 1990, Yoshi Ikuzō (lyrics and music), “Suika [Drinking Song]”, performed by Yoshi Ikuzō:
      風(かぜ)に風(かぜ)にヨ暖(の)簾(れん)巻(ま)く風(かぜ)にヨ
      遠(とお)い故(く)郷(に)のヨ親(おや)父(じ)を想(おも)う
      Kaze ni kaze ni yo noren maku kaze ni yo
      Tōi kuni no yo oyaji o omou
      As the winds blow the shop's curtain,
      I think of my dad back home in the far country.

References

  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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