CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomUncorrected

Monomi Yusan (物見遊山 – Sightseeing)

  • Monomi Yusan

    物見遊山


    I would like to do Monomi Yusan (物見遊山) sometimes.
    たまには「物見遊山」したいものです。

    Since mono (物) means “thing,” mi (見) means “to see,” yu (遊) means “to play,” and san (山) means “mountain,” the literal meaning of the combination is “to see things and to play at mountains.”
    「物」は “thing”、「見」は “to see”、「遊」は “to play”、「山」は “mountain” を意味するので、「物見遊山」の文字どおりの意味は “to see things and to play at mountains” となります。

    Yusan (遊山) was originally a Buddhist term, which meant that a Zen monk who finished training moves to the next temple (mountain) while going around various places.
    「遊山」はもともと仏教用語で、修業を終えた僧が各地を巡りながら次の寺(山)に移動することを意味していました。

    Later, yusan came to mean to go to mountains for playing, and Monomi Yusan came to mean to go to various places for sightseeing or playing.
    これが野山に遊びに行くという意味になり「物見遊山」は「気晴らしにいろいろなところに遊びに行くこと」を意味するようになったというわけです。

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