はしくれ

Japanese
Alternative spelling
端くれ

Etymology

Compound of 端 (hashi, “edge; piece of something”) +‎ 塊 (kure, “lump, chunk”).[1][2] Compare similar usage of English lump.

First cited to 1694.[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

はしくれ • (hashikure) 

  1. [from 1792] small fragment or piece of something
  2. [from 1694] someone or something belonging to a certain group or category, but otherwise nondescript and not worth attention
  3. [date uncertain] (more specifically) unimportant or novice member of a group, rank and file, as opposed to a full-fledged member
    • 2005, 藤原正彦 (Fujiwara Masahiko), translated by Giles Murray, 国家の品格 (Kokka no Hinkaku) [The Dignity of the Nation, Bilingual edition], page 4:
      数(すう)学(がく)者(しゃ)のはしくれである私(わたし)が、論(ろん)理(り)の力(ちから)を疑(うたが)うようになったのです。
      Sūgakusha no hashikure de aru watashi ga, ronri no chikara o utagau yō ni natta no desu.
      Here I was, a nothing mathematician who had ended up questioning the value of logic!
    • 2002, 角野栄子 (Kadono Eiko), 魔女の宅急便 (Majo no Takkyūbin) [Kiki's Delivery Service], page 13:
      あたしだってかあさんのむすめです。魔(ま)女(じょ)のはしくれです。
      Atashi datte kā-san no musume desu. Majo no hashikure desu.
      (please add an English translation of this example)

Usage notes

Sense 2 is often used to express one's membership in a group in a non-boastful, humble manner.

References
  1. “はしくれ”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
  2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. 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), Tōkyō: NHK Publishing, →ISBN
  4. Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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