黃泉

黃泉

1. underground spring

   • 夫蚓，上食槁壤，下飲黃泉。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     夫蚓，上食槁壤，下饮黄泉。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Fú yǐn, shàng shí gǎorǎng, xià yǐn huángquán. [Pinyin]

     Now, an earthworm eats the dry mould above, and drinks the yellow spring below.

2. (figuratively) underworld; the land of the dead

   • 不及黃泉，無相見也！ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     不及黄泉，无相见也！ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Bù jí huángquán, wú xiàngjiàn yě! [Pinyin]

     May we not meet again till death!

• (underworld): (figuratively, euphemism, colloquial, jocular) 老家 (lǎojiā), 陰間／阴间 (yīnjiān)

Others:

• → Vietnamese: suối vàng (calque)

黃(こう)泉(せん) • (kōsen) ^{←くわうせん (kwausen)?}
(alternative reading hiragana よみ, rōmaji yomi)

1. Kyūjitai form of 黄泉 (kōsen, yomi): the land of the dead, afterworld, underworld

黃泉 • (hwangcheon) (hangeul 황천)

1. Hanja form^? of 황천 (“underworld”).

From Proto-Japonic *yəməy.

The kanji spelling is an orthographic borrowing from Middle Chinese 黃泉 (MC hwang dzjwen, literally “yellow springs”), incorporating the underworld from Chinese mythology.

黃泉 (*yo₂mi₂) (kana よみ)

1. (Shinto mythology) the land of the dead, afterworld, underworld

• 葦原の中つ國 (asipara no₂ nakatukuni)
• 高天原 (takama no₂ para)

• 黃泉つ (yo₂mo₂ tu)
• 蘇る (yo₂mi₂gape₁ru)
• 黃泉路 (yo₂mi₂di)

• Japanese: 黄泉 (yomi)

黃泉

1. chữ Hán form of hoàng tuyền (“underworld”).