Shikato (Disregard)
Today, I will tell you about the Japanese word “shikato(シカト),” which means “disregard.”
今日は、「無視」を意味する「シカト」という言葉を紹介します。
Since “shikato” is mainly used by young people, it is often thought of as a youth slang expression, but it exists from of old.
「シカト」は若者が多く使うことから若者言葉と思われがちですが、昔から存在する言葉です。
This word is derived from a picture of hanafuda that is Japanese playing cards.
この言葉は、花札の絵柄に由来します。
In the hanafuda, there are four cards for each month that seasonal flowers are drawn.
花札には、各月ごとに4枚ずつ、季節の花が描かれています。
In these cards, although autumn leaves and a deer (“shika” in Japanese) are drawn in October of a 10 points card (“10” is called “ju” or “to” in Japan), the deer doesn’t see the autumn leaves and looks away.
その中で、10月の10点札には紅葉と鹿が描かれているのですが、鹿は紅葉を見ずにそっぽを向いています。
From the looks of it, the word “shikato,” which means “disregard” was made.
この様子から、「無視」という意味を表す「シカト」が作られました。
