醜女
Chinese
shameful; ugly; disgraceful | female; woman; daughter | ||
---|---|---|---|
trad. (醜女) | 醜 | 女 | |
simp. (丑女) | 丑 | 女 |
Pronunciation
Japanese
Usage notes
For the generic “ugly woman” sense, the buonna reading may be more common. The shikome reading carries overtones of supernatural terror, and may be perceived as somewhat old-fashioned. The shūjo reading is the least common, and may be the most stilted; it is also the most negative of the three readings.
Etymology 2
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
醜 | 女 |
しこ Grade: S |
め Grade: 1 |
kun’yomi |
Compound of 醜 (shiko, “ugly; ferocious”) + 女 (me, “woman”).[1][2]
Noun
醜女 • (shikome)
- an ugly demon-woman or hag from the underworld
- 938, Minamoto no Shitagō, Wamyō Ruijushō, volume 1, pages 44-45:
- 醜女 日本紀私紀云、醜女、志古女、或説黄泉之鬼也、今世人爲恐小兒稱許々女者此語之訛也。
- Hags The Nihongi Private Records call them hags, Japanese shikome, certain legends say they're demons of Yomi, nowadays people become afraid of small children calling them such women, this term is dialectic.
- an ugly woman
Usage notes
For the generic “ugly woman” sense, the buonna reading may be more common. The shikome reading carries overtones of supernatural terror, and may be perceived as somewhat old-fashioned. The shūjo reading is the least common, and may be the most stilted; it is also the most negative of the three readings.
Synonyms
(ugly woman):
Etymology 3
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
醜 | 女 |
しゅう Grade: S |
じょ Grade: 1 |
on’yomi |
From Middle Chinese compound 醜女/丑女 (tsyhuwX nrjoX, literally “ugly + woman”). Compare modern Mandarin reading chǒu nǚ.
Usage notes
For the generic “ugly woman” sense, the buonna reading may be more common. The shikome reading carries overtones of supernatural terror, and may be perceived as somewhat old-fashioned. The shūjo reading is the least common, and may be the most stilted; it is also the most negative of the three readings.
References
- Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
- Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- Minamoto, Shitagō with Kyōto Daigaku Bungakubu Kokugogaku Kokubungaku Kenkyūshitu (931–938) Shohon Shūsei Wamyō Ruijushō: Honbunhen (in Japanese), Kyōto: Rinsen, published 1968, →ISBN.