[Etymology] Nihon Shakumei (13) Water, Fire, Earth, Stone, Metal, Jewel
Water
It means "to emerge" (izu). "I" and "mi" are interchangeable. Water is so named because it emerges from within the earth.
Fire
"Fire" (hi) is named as such because it is the same as the "sun" (hi) of the heavens. When heaven and earth opened, the sun already existed. Fire came into being later. Therefore, the name of the sun was taken to be the name of fire.
Flame (homura)
It means "fire cluster" (hi-mura). "Ho" and "hi" are interchangeable.
Blaze (honoo)
It means "tail of fire." The way fire flares up becomes thin at the end, like a tail.
Embers (oki)
It means charcoal that has ignited. "Oki" means "to arise" (okoru). It also means "hot" (atsuki). "A" and "o" are interchangeable. The "tsu" is omitted.
Charcoal (sumi)
"Sumi" means "to dye" (somi). It is because it is black in color and dyes things. "So" and "su" are interchangeable.
Earth (tsuchi)
"Earth" (chi) is called "tsuchi." "Chi" is "earth" (tsuchi). Therefore, borrowing the reading of "chi," it is read as both "chi" and "tsuchi." This appears in the 'Jikishisho'.
Dust (chiri)
It means "to scatter" (san). It is light and easily scattered.
Dust (hokori)
"Ho" means "fire." "Kori" means "remains" (nokori). It is the remains of ash after fire has gone out. One theory is that it is ash that has remained and clumped together after fire has gone out.
Mud
"Hichi" means to be "soaked" (hitaru) in water. As in the old poem saying "my sleeves are soaked" (sode hichite). "Ri" is a filler character, and "ko" is "powder" (ko). It means fine. It is the meaning of fine earth. Same as powder. It is fine earth soaked in water. It is also called "toro". It means "to melt" (torokuru). It is when clumped earth has melted.
* The reading "Hichiriko" for "Mud" is hijiriko (mud). Reference: "Shin-sen Kana-zukai Kyōkasho" ({hijiriko)} * "Utsuho-ji" is Empty Character. Reference: "Eika Jiten" ({
Expletive Empty Character)} {"Iroha Onkun-den: Nihon Mitsuyō Vol. 5}
Sand Masago
It means "pure and fine." "Masago" refers only to white sand, which is true sand without any earth mixed in. Also, regarding "sunago" (sand), "su" means "small." It means "small and fine." "Ko" is "powder." It means fine.
Face Powder
"O" is "u." It is a phonetic equivalent. "U" means "beautiful" (utsukushiki). "Shiroi" means "white" (shiroki). It means "beautifully white."
Roof Tile
It means "to change" (kawaru). It is earth that has been fired, become hard, and changed. "Ra" and "ru" are interchangeable. Also, it is called "kawara" because it is hard and easily broken.
Stone
Senkaku said, "i" is an exclamatory particle, and "shi" means "to sink" (shizumu). Atsunobu said, it likely means "humble" (iyashi). This is because stone is humbler than gold or jewels. The middle part has been omitted.
* "Senkaku" was a Man'yō scholar of the Kamakura period.
Jewel
It means "precious and round" (takaramaruki). The end has been omitted.
Pebbles
"Saza" means "small." It is of the same class as Ripples. "Re" is a filler character. Calling pebbles "zare" also comes from this word.
Metal
It means "to harden and knead" (katakuneru). It is when the ore found in stone is crushed and hardened and kneaded. "Kogane" (gold) is "kigane" (yellow metal). "Ki" and "ko" are interchangeable. Yinzi is said to refer to good quality gold in the "Shen Kuo's Brush Talks." It is not a Japanese word.
* Reference: "Kōbunko Vol. 5 ({kane)" (National Diet Library Digital Collections)
Tin
"Suzu" is short for "usuzumi-iro" (light ink color). The beginning and end are omitted.
Lead
It is "namagane" (raw metal). "Kane" (metal) is omitted. Raw things are soft. It is called this because this metal is soft. "Ri" is a particle.
* "Namari" is lead.
|Smoke
"Ke" is "ki" (vapor/spirit). "Furi" is "nobori" (rising). It is "kenobori" (vapor rising). The first part is omitted. "Ho" and "fu" are interchangeable. One theory is that "ke" is "kie" (vanishing). It is large and the vapor rises.
|Soot
It is a contraction of "fusubori" (smoldering). The upper "su" is "subori". The lower "su" is "tsumori" (accumulation). "Tsu" and "su" are interchangeable. One theory is that the lower "su" is "sumi" (charcoal).
* "Fusubori" is smoldering.
|Lime
It is a Chinese-derived pronunciation.
Author's note: ● indicates a character that could not be deciphered. I will update this as I decipher new characters or notice typos or misreadings. For details, please read the "
Self-introduction/Disclaimer" section. 📖