天竺
Chinese
| phonetic | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (天竺) | 天 | 竺 | |
| simp. #(天竺) | 天 | 竺 | |
| alternative forms | |||
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
First recorded use in the Book of Later Han, compiled in the 5th century. Itself a transcription of Old Persian [script needed] (*Hinduka-) (Pulleyblank, 1962, Coblin, 1983), hypocoristic of 𐏃𐎡𐎯𐎢𐏁 (hinduš, “people living beyond the Indus”). Compare 身毒 (Juāndú).
Derived terms
Descendants
- → Japanese: 天竺 (tenjiku)
- → Okinawan: 天竺 (tinjiku)
- → Korean: 천축(天竺) (cheonchuk)
- → Vietnamese: Thiên Trúc (天竺)
Etymology 2
Per 《北京市顺义县地名志》:
In Liao dynasty, there is a place named 天柱莊:
- https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E9%81%BC%E5%8F%B2/%E5%8D%B740: 順州，歸化軍，中，刺史。……城東北有華林、天柱二莊，遼建涼殿，春賞花，夏納涼。
In Qing dynasty, the village is renamed to 天竺, since they have similar pronunciation.
Japanese
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 天 | 竺 |
| てん Grade: 1 |
じく Jinmeiyō |
| on’yomi | |
Etymology 1
/tendiku/ → /tend͡ʑiku/
From Middle Chinese 天竺 (MC then trjuwk), a transcription from either of the following:
- Old Persian *Hind-uka ("people living beyond the Indus") an alternative of *Hinduš (“Indus, people of the Indus”)
- Sanskrit सिन्धु (Sindhu, “the country of the Indus river, India (later, after Herodotus)”)[3]
First mentioned in the 後漢書 (Gokansho, “Book of the Later Han”), in volume 88, the 西域伝 (Saiiki Den, “Treatise on the Western Regions”).
Usage notes
The prefix senses appear to have arisen after European traders arrived in Japan, by way of India.[3]
Derived terms
- 天竺葵 (Tenjiku aoi): an “Indian hollyhock or mallow” → a geranium
- 天竺織 (tenjiku ori): “Indian weaving” → a kind of thick woven cloth featuring various designs of birds, people, and other motifs
- 天竺花 (Tenjiku ka): an “Indian flower” → alternate for 萩 (hagi, “bush clover”)
- 天竺楽 (Tenjiku gaku): “Indian music” → those pieces of 雅楽 (gagaku, “ancient court music”) originating from India
- 天竺鮫 (Tenjiku-zame): an “Indian shark” → a wobbegong, a shark of family Orectolobidae
- 天竺鯛 (Tenjiku-dai): an “Indian sea bream” → a kind of cardinalfish, Apogon lineatus
- 天竺茄子 (Tenjiku nasubi): “Indian eggplant” → alternate for 朝鮮朝顔 (Chōsen asagao, literally “Korean morning glory”): the devil's trumpet or metel, Datura metel
- 天竺鼠 (Tenjiku nezumi): an “Indian rat” → a guinea pig, a cavy
- 天竺醤 (Tenjiku hishio): “Indian sauce” → a kind of spicy uncooked miso
- 天竺菩提樹 (Tenjiku bodaiju): “Indian linden tree” → the bodhi tree, Ficus religiosa
- 天竺牡丹 (Tenjiku botan): an “Indian peony” → a dahlia
- 天竺豆 (Tenjiku mame): “Indian bean” → alternate for 八升豆 (hasshō mame): the velvet bean, Mucuna pruriens
- 天竺守 (Tenjiku mamori): “Indian protector, Indian charm” → alternate for 八房 (yatsubusa), the fasciculatum variety of Capsicum annuum (chili pepper)
- 天竺味噌 (Tenjiku miso): “Indian miso” → spicy miso
- 天竺木綿 (Tenjiku momen): “Indian cotton” → thickly woven cotton sheeting
- 天竺様 (Tenjiku yō): “Indian style” → a style of Buddhist temple architecture imported from the Southern Song Dynasty during the Kamakura period
Etymology 2
By extension from the 天 character (“sky, heavens”), and possibly by association with the Himalayas.
Derived terms
- 天竺豆 (tenjiku mame): “sky bean” → alternate for 空豆 (sora mame): the broad bean or fava bean, Vicia faba
- 天竺浪人 (tenjiku rōnin): a vagrant, a wanderer (The 天竺 portion of this term is purely slang, a play on the term 逐電 (chikuden, “running away, absconding”, literally “chasing lightning”).)
References
- Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN