尊皇

Originally from Middle Chinese compound 尊王 (*t͡zuən *hiuɑng, “revere the king”), probably from the phrase 尊王攘夷 (*t͡zuən *hiuɑng *njaŋ *i, “revere the king, expel the barbarians”), appearing in Chinese literature beginning in the Warring States period, some time between 475 BC and 221 BC.

In Japanese, 尊王 and 尊皇 are both read as sonnō and have mostly the same meaning (“revere the ruler”). The 尊皇 spelling might be preferred in Japanese contexts, as Japan has historically had an emperor (皇) instead of a king (王).

The ō reading for 皇 changes to nō as an instance of renjō (連声).

尊皇 (hiragana そんのう, rōmaji sonnō, historical hiragana そんわう)

1. Alternative spelling of 尊王 (“reverence for the emperor”)

• 尊皇論 (そんのうろん, ​sonnōron): royalism, a belief in the supremacy of the monarchy
• 尊皇攘夷 (そんのうじょうい, ​sonnō jōi): revere the emperor, kick out the barbarians (nationalist slogan)

The older reading for this term, without renjō (連声, “sandhi”).[1]

尊皇 (hiragana そんおう, rōmaji son'ō, historical hiragana そんわう)

1. (rare, archaic) Alternative spelling of 尊王 (“reverence for the emperor”)