蜻蛉

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Chinese

dragonfly
trad. (蜻蛉)
simp. #(蜻蛉)

Pronunciation


Noun

蜻蛉

  1. dragonfly

Derived terms

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
とんぼ
Hyōgai Hyōgai
jukujikun
Alternative spelling
蜻蜓
 トンボ on Japanese Wikipedia

/toɴboː//toɴbo/

Shift from earlier tonbō, shortening the final vowel.[1] Now the most common reading of this term.

The kanji are jukujikun (熟字訓), from Chinese 蜻蛉 (qīnglíng).

Pronunciation

Noun

蜻蛉(とんぼ) or 蜻蛉(トンボ) (tonbo

  1. dragonfly
    Synonym: (Tsugaru) だんぶり (danburi)
Usage notes
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
とんぼう
Hyōgai Hyōgai
jukujikun

/toubau//toːbɔː//toɴbɔː//toɴboː/

Shift from earlier tōbō.[4] Appears in the 康頼本草 (Yasuyori Honzō) of 995 CE.

Pronunciation

Noun

蜻蛉(とんぼう) or 蜻蛉(トンボー) (tonbōとんばう (tonbau)?

  1. dragonfly

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
とうぼう
Hyōgai Hyōgai
jukujikun

/toubau//toːbɔː//toːboː/

Derivation unknown.[4] Some theories include:

  • Originally a compound of 飛ぶ (tobu, to fly; flying) + (, stick, pole, ancient reading bau).[5] However, this combines a native Japanese etymon with a Chinese borrowing, and the term appears early in the historical record, when such compounds were not common.[6]
  • Originally a compound of 飛ぶ (tobu, to fly; flying) + (ha, wing, ancient reading pa) + uncertain element (u).[5] While more likely in terms of historical trends, this leaves the final element unexplained.[6]

This reading appears to have been superseded by tonbō and tonbo.

Pronunciation

Noun

蜻蛉(とうぼう) or 蜻蛉(トウボウ) (tōbōとうばう (toubau)?

  1. (archaic, possibly obsolete) dragonfly

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
せい
Hyōgai
れい
Hyōgai
kan'on

From Middle Chinese 蜻蛉 (MC tsjeng leng).

Pronunciation

Noun

(せい)(れい) or 蜻蛉(セイレイ) (seirei

  1. dragonfly

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
えんば
Hyōgai Hyōgai
irregular

Attested in the late 18th century.[4]

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Noun

蜻蛉(えんば) or 蜻蛉(エンバ) (enbaゑんば (wenba)?

  1. (archaic) dragonfly

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
あきつ
Hyōgai Hyōgai
irregular
Kanji in this term
あきず
Hyōgai Hyōgai
irregular
For pronunciation and definitions of 蜻蛉 – see the following entry.
秋津あきず
(archaic) dragonfly
Alternative spelling
アキズ
秋津あきつ
(archaic, since the Heian period) dragonfly
a railway station in Higashimurayama, Tokyo
a shrine in Higashimurayama, Tokyo
name of several towns in Japan
Akitsu (a town in Higashimurayama, Tokyo prefecture, Japan)
Akitsu (a town in Meitoku district, Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan)
Akitsu (a town in Higashi district, Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan) 
name of several villages in Japan
a surname
Alternative spelling
アキツ
(This term, 蜻蛉, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 7

Kanji in this term
かぎろう
Hyōgai Hyōgai
irregular
Kanji in this term
かげろう
Hyōgai Hyōgai
irregular
For pronunciation and definitions of 蜻蛉 – see the following entry.
蜉蝣かげろう
a mayfly
(obsolete) Synonym of 蜻蛉 (tonbo, dragonfly)
Alternative spelling
カゲロウ
蜉蝣かぎろう
(obsolete) Synonym of 蜻蛉 (tonbo, dragonfly)
(This term, 蜻蛉, is an alternative spelling (obsolete) of the above term.)

References

  1. ^ 蜻蛉・蜻蜓”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
  2. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 蜻蛉”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
  5. 5.0 5.1 トンボ・蜻蛉”, in 日本辞典 (Nihon Jiten, Japan Dictionary) (in Japanese), 2007–2017.
  6. 6.0 6.1 トンボ/蜻蛉/とんぼ”, in 語源由来辞典 (Gogen Yurai Jiten, Etymology Derivation Dictionary) (in Japanese), 2003–2024.