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【No. 0862】Gokaku

Apr 28, 2017 17:41
Today I would like to talk about the Japanese common word "互角 (gokaku)."

"互 (go)" means "each other," "角 (kaku)" means "horn," and "互角" means that there is almost no difference among two, and it's difficult to decide the winning or the losing.

Actually, this word was originally written as "牛角 (gokaku)," the literal meaning of "牛" is "bull."

As the name indicates, the word "牛角" was derived from "bull's horns."

The thing is, left and right horns of a bull have almost the same length and size, so "牛角" came to mean something like "equivalent."

Note that the other kanji "互角" has been used since the Muromachi period, and "牛角" is no longer used now.

If you write as "牛角," it will be read as "gyu kaku" in most cases, which indicates a kind of Japanese yakiniku (roasted meat) restaurants.
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【No. 0861】Yakimochi (Jealousy)

Apr 27, 2017 11:04
Today I would like to talk about the Japanese word "yakimochi."

"Yaki" means "roasted," "mochi" means "rice cake," so "yakimochi" can literally mean "roasted rice cake," but it often used to mean "jealousy" or "envy."

In such a case, it is often used something like "yakimochi wo yaku," literally meaning "to roast a rice cake," and it refers "to feel jealous."

In Japanese, getting jealous is translated into "shitto suru," and is also said as "yaku."

Here, the readings of "yaku" to mean "to get jealous" and "yaku" to mean "to roast" are the same.

It is said that "mochi" (rice cake) was attached to this verb "yaki" as a joke, the word "yakimochi," meaning "jealousy" was born.
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【No. 0860】Risks of Getting Up Early

Apr 26, 2017 10:18
There is a proverb, "hayaoki wa sanmon no toku," in Japan.

"Hayaoki" means "getting up early," "sanmon" means "three cheap coins," and "toku" means "benefit."

That is to say, this proverb says that you should get up early because you can get somewhat benefit at least.

However, according to a recent study conducted by Dr. Kelley at Oxford University, getting up early could rise risks of various diseases and decline work performances.

Demonstration experiments conducted at Harvard University and Nevada University imply the correctness of this theory.

Since I wake up at around 5 a.m. recently, I start my work before 7 a.m., but I may have to go to bed late and get up late for health.
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【No. 0859】Jaku Niku Kyo Shoku (The Jungle Law)

Apr 25, 2017 19:47
Today I will talk about the four-character idiom "jaku niku kyo shoku" (弱肉強食).

"Jaku" means "weak," "niku" means "meat," "kyo" means "strong," "shoku" means "eat," and this idiom means a world/society that weak ones become preys of strong ones -- the results depends directly on the differences in ability.

This idiom comes from "弱之肉、強之食," meaning "weak is the meat, strong eats it," written by a Chinese literati called Han Yu.

Before biology was developed, since people thought that carnivorous animals were strong and herbivorous animals were just preys, such an idiom was born by applying it to human society.

However, recently it has been cleared that predation is not easy in actual nature, and the number of herbivorous animals greatly affect the survival of carnivorous animals.

Therefore, it is said that "kyozon kyoei" (co-existence and co-prosperity) or "tekisha seizon" (survival of the fittest) is more appropriate than "jaku niku kyo shoku" as a term for describing the natural world (the jungle law).
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【No. 0858】Kettai (Queer-Beer)

Apr 24, 2017 08:55
Today I would like to talk about the term in Osaka dialect "kettai."

"Kettai" means that something is mysterious or strange.

Usage example: "kettai na yattya na" (you are queer-beer).
("~ na yattya na" is also a dialect term in Kansai (Osaka), which means "you're such a ~.")

This term comes from "ketai," which means a result of fortune-telling or an omen, and it originally used as "ketai ga warui" ("warui" means "bad") to mean "a bad omen."

The "ketai ga warui" became just "ketai," then "kettai," and changed to the current meaning.

It is thought that "kettai" was a common Japanese term until the Meiji period, but it is mainly used only around Osaka prefecture.
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【No. 0857】Omae (You)

Apr 23, 2017 09:02
Today I will talk about the Japanese word "omae."

"Omae" is a word that refers to a person in front of you -- it's something like "you."

Basically, this word is used for your friends or lower ranking people.

"Omae" was made by attaching the prefix "o" to "mae," which means "in front of," and it was originally used for Buddha or nobilities with respect.

Although it was used with genuine respect until around the early Edo period, the meaning of respect gradually faded, and it came to used for only your friends or lower ranking people after the Meiji period.

Since many Japanese people will get offended if they are called "omae," be careful when you use it.
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【No. 0856】Asameshi Mae (Before Breakfast)

Apr 22, 2017 15:28
Today I'd like to talk about the Japanese term "asameshi mae."

"Asameshi" of "asameshi mae" means "breakfast," "mae" means "before."

This term sometimes means "before breakfast" literally, but it often means that it is quite easy to do something.

Since you are hungry and don't have much time before eating breakfast, you can only do simple tasks.

In particular, we had meals two times a day until the middle of the Edo period, so we couldn't bring out our real strengths before breakfast.

From this fact, "asameshi mae" (before breakfast) came to mean easy tasks that you can finish before you eat breakfast.
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【No. 0855】Madogiwa Zoku (Deadwood)

Apr 21, 2017 13:01
Today I will talk about the Japanese slang term "madogiwa zoku."

"Madogiwa" means "windows side." "zoku" means "tribe," and "madogiwa zoku" means employees or staff (especially middle-aged and elderly people) who has been put out to pasture.

This term comes from "madogiwa ojisan" ("ojisan" means "elderly man"), which was used in a column of the Hokkaido Shimbun (Hokkaido newspaper) in 1977.

In the column, "madogiwa ojisan" was used for meaning elderly people who were discharged from management posts, and read newspapers or stare out window to kill time at the window side desks.

This term came to be widely used, then it became "madogiwa zoku" for general use.

However, I prefer to a desk at the window side.
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【No. 0854】Kusawake

Apr 20, 2017 08:54
Today I will talk about the Japanese term "kusawake."

"Kusawake" means to do something for the first time, or a person who start something as a pioneer.

"Kusa" of "kusawake" means "grass," "wake" means "to split," and this term originally means to develop villages or towns by clearing a grassy land.

Deriving from the meaning to develop a raw land, it came to mean to break into an unexplored field, or a founder/pioneer.

Also, there is a similar term, "so so," the literal meaning of which is "grass and create," and it means to start a new thing, or a beginning of things.

This term is often used as "so so ki," by attaching the word "ki," meaning "period."
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【No. 0853】Ugai (Gargle)

Apr 19, 2017 09:00
Today I will talk about the Japanese word "ugai."

"Ugai" means an act of rinse/gargle your mouth or throat with water to clean it up.

This word comes from a famous ayu (sweetfish) fishing called "ukai" in Gifu prefecture, the literal meaning of which is "to tame a cormorant."

This is because in the ukai, fishermen have cormorants swallow ayu in the water, then have them spit it out on the boat.

In Japan, people have done "ugai" since the Heian era, but it is said that doing "unagi" as preventing cold is an unique Japanese custom.

Actually, it has been skeptical for a long time whether or not "ugai" has an effect to prevent cold.

However, recently the effectiveness has been proved scientifically.
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【No. 0852】Charan Poran

Apr 18, 2017 10:11
Today I would like to talk about the Japanese term "charan poran."

"Charan poran" means that someone has no definite idea, and is irresponsible.

Usage example: His attitude and behavior are irresponsible. (irresponsible).

It is thought that this term comes from another term "chara hora."

"Chara" of "chara hora" means "half-baked," "random," or "lie," and "hora" also means "lie."

Here "hora" comes from "horagai," which is a kind of Japanese wind instrument made from a Charonia tritonis.

Since the reason why "hora" means "lie" is explained in the following post I wrote before, please check it if you are interested.

http://lang-8.com/kanotown/journals/27749221232995947716299510931975341102
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【No. 0851】Otsumu (Head)

Apr 17, 2017 10:00
Today I will talk about the Japanese word "otsumu."

"Otsumu" is another way of saying "atama," which means "head," and it is mainly used for infants.

In the past, something round and small was called "tsuburi" -- the word was made by changing "tsubu," which means "grain."

Also, child's small head was referred to as "tsumuri," by changing "tsuburi."

Next, "tsumuri" changed to "otsumuri" by attaching the prefix, "o," which makes words polite.

Finally, "ri" of "otsumuri" was abbreviated, and it became "otsumu."

Note that if you use "otsumu" to adults, it will be ironic in most cases.

For example: "Otsumu ga yowai" (You're weak in the head). "Otsumu ga tarinai" (Your wit is wanting.)
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【No. 0850】Taisetsu

Apr 16, 2017 07:33
Today I would like to talk about the Japanese word "taisetsu."

"Taisetsu" means something important, or to cherish something.

This word comes from "ooini seppaku suru," which can be abbreviated to "taisetsu" in Kanji.

Here, "ooini" means "very," "seppaku suru" means "imminent."

Originally, "taisetsu" literally means that something is imminent, but connected to this meaning, it came to mean that something is important.

Furthermore, since something important is something irreplaceable, it also imply "to love someone/something wholeheartedly."

In fact, a Portuguese dictionary translate "taisetsu" into "love."

In most cases, you can replace "taisetsu" with "juyo" (important), but I feel that "taisetsu" is softer and warmer than "juyo."
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【No. 0849】Mayutsuba (Cock-and-Bull Story)

Apr 15, 2017 09:18
Today I would like to talk about the Japanese term "mayutsuba."

"Mayu" of "mayutsuba" means "eyebrow," "tsuba" menas "saliva," and "mayutsuba" means to be careful not to be deceived.

Also, it also means things that the truth or false is not clear or untrustworthy things.
(In this case, it is often called "mayutsuba mono," which means "mayutsuba thing.")

This term comes from a superstition that you will not be deceived by foxes or tanuki (raccoon dogs) by putting spit on your eyebrows.

It is believed that foxes deceive people by counting the number of eyebrows of a person, so you can prevent it by spitting on your eyebrows.
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【No. 0848】Mizu wo Mukeru

Apr 14, 2017 17:17
Today I will talk about the Japanese idiom "mizu wo mukeru."

The literal meaning of "mizu wo mukeru" is "to direct water at someone," and it means that you attract someone's interest or you work someone to talk what you want.

In Japan, miko (female attendant) can make spirits of dead and living human enter her body, and talk their words.

This is called "kuchiyose," the literal meaning of which is "to withdraw a mouth."

When mico conduct the kuchiyose, she puts water in a bowl, puts a leaf on water, and turns it toward a spirit -- the water is called "mizumuke" (to direct water at something).

Later, "mizu wo mukeru" came to have the current meanings.
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【No. 0847】Characteristics of Narikin (New Rich)

Apr 13, 2017 09:31
Yesterday, I talked about the etymology of the Japanese word, "narikin," which means "new rich."

According to an ancient Greek philosopher called Aristotle, narikin (new riches) have the following characteristics.

They have a characteristic of a foolish person who has a good luck.

They act big and look down others because they think that they have all good things.

They show off their money.

They think of money as the standard of all evaluation.

Incidentally, originally in Japan, "narikin" (new rich) was used in a good sense.

However, now it is often used to express feelings of mockery or hatred.
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【No. 0846】Narikin (New Rich)

Apr 12, 2017 09:37
Today I will talk about the word "narikin."

"Narikin" means a person who became rich in a short period, and it corresponds to the term "new rich" in English.

This word comes from a kind of board games, "shogi," which is similar to chess.

In shogi, when pieces except the king (ohsho) and gold generals (kinsho) enter the enemy territory, they can change their characters (this act is called "naru" in Japanese).

In particular, if the ranks of these pieces are lower than gold generals, they can change to new pieces that are equivalent to the gold general (kinsho).

From this rule, a person who suddenly became rich came to be called "narikin" (change to a gold general).
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【No. 0845】Chu Chu Tako Kaina

Apr 11, 2017 15:36
Today I would like to talk about the Japanese term "chu chu tako kaina."

This term is a kind of counting rhymes, which is used when counting the number of something in two units (it's something like "two, four, six, eight...").

There are several theories about this term, but the most widely accepted one is something like the following.

The word "chu" comes from the sugoroku (Japanese backgammon) term "juji," which means double two, that is four.

When you say "chu chu," it means eight, and this number represents the number of octopus' legs.

Therefore, we came to say "tako kaina," which means "is it an octopus?," after "chu chu."
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【No. 0844】Sjirajira Shii

Apr 10, 2017 09:54
Today I will talk about the Japanese adjective "shira jira shii."

Both of the "shira" and the "jira" means "white," so this adjective can literally mean that something looks white.

However, in most cases, it means that someone's lie is blatant or someone pretend to know nothing about what he/her knows.

Usage example: Don't say the bland flattery (shirajira shii oseji).

Originally, "shiro" (white) is often used to imply that something is clear.

Therefore, it is thought that "shirajira shii" was derived from the meaning that your true feelings are clear.

Incidentally, according to my dictionary, "to tell a shirajira shii lie" is translated into "to lie through one's teeth."
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【No. 0843】Shoboi (Shabby)

Apr 9, 2017 14:12
Today I would like to talk about the Japanese adjective "shoboi."

"Shoboi" means that someone/something is shabby or dull.

This word is an adjective form of the onomatopoeic word "shobo shobo."

Nowadays "shobo shobo" means that someone/something is drowsy or flabby, but in the Edo period, it mainly meant to rain kittens and puppies continuously.

The continuous drizzle is dismal, so "shobo shobo" came to have the meaning of "drowsy," and the current meaning of "shoboi."

Incidentally, you can use "shoboi" as an exclamation, like "shobo'!"

However, note that "shoboi" is, if anything, a slang term that is used young people.