神楽
Japanese
Etymology 1
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 神 | 楽 |
| かむ > か Grade: 3 |
らく > ぐら Grade: 2 |
| Irregular | |
/kamu kura/ → /kankura/ → /kaŋɡura/ → /kaɡura/
From Old Japanese.
Originally a compound of 神 (kamu, “spirit, god”) + 座 (kura, “seat”).[1][2][3] The kura changes to gura as an instance of rendaku (連濁).
The original compound referred to the place used to call down the 神 (kami, “spirits and gods”) to earth, when a 巫女 (miko, “shrine maiden”) would act as a medium for the kami. Over time, the term came to refer to the music and dance of the ceremony. The use of the 楽 character here is an example of jukujikun (熟字訓), reflecting the change in meaning.
Pronunciation
Noun
神楽 (shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 神樂, hiragana かぐら, rōmaji kagura)
- (Shinto) sacred dancing and music performed at Shintō ceremonies, often by miko, to honor Shintō spirits and gods
- Synonym: 神遊び (kamiasobi)
- bugaku (a type of traditional dancing and music) performed by regular people in front of a Shintō shrine
- Synonyms: 里神楽 (sato kagura), 太太神楽 (daidai kagura)
- a type of Noh dancing and music
- a type of kabuki musical accompaniment
- Short for 御神楽 (o-kagura): a flat-topped house initially built with one storey, with additional storeys added later
Derived terms
- 神楽歌 (kagura uta, “kagura song”)
- 神楽諷雲井曲毬 (Kagura Uta Kumoi no Kyokumari): the title of a kabuki play, roughly "Kagura Uta: Juggling to Entertain the Gods"
- 神楽男 (kagurao), 神楽男 (kagura otoko, “man who performs kagura”)
- 神楽岡 (Kagura Oka): Kagura Hill, a place in Kyōto, also known as Yamada Yama (Yamada Mountain) and site of Yamada Jinja (Yamada Shrine)
- 神楽月 (kagurazuki): alternate name for the eleventh lunar month
- 神楽坂 (Kagurazaka): a place in the east of Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo
- 神楽笹 (kagurazasa): alternate for 阿亀笹 (okamezasa, “Shibataea kumasaca, a type of short leafy bamboo”), or for 唐竹蘭 (tōchikuran, “a type of orchid, probably the Yunnanese spring orchid, Cymbidium goeringii subsp. goeringii var. forrestii”)
- 神楽桟, 神楽鮫 (kagurazame): the bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus
- 神楽山 (kagurasan): alternate name for a 轆轤 (rokuro, “windlass”)
- 神楽師 (kagurashi, “professional kagura performer”)
- 神楽獅子 (kagura-jishi): a lion dance performed as kagura; a pleasure quarter or red-light district euphemism for hairiness
- 神楽舎 (kagurasha): the roofed stage at a shrine or imperial palace for performing kagura
- 神楽少女 (kagura otome): alternate for 神楽巫女: a woman, generally unmarried, who performs kagura
- 神楽女 (kagurame): alternate for 神楽巫女: a woman, generally unmarried, who performs kagura
- 神楽巫女, 神楽神子 (kagura miko): a woman, generally unmarried, who performs kagura
- 神楽銭 (kagurasen, “money received in thanks for a kagura performance”)
- 神楽草 (kagurasō): alternate name for 狐の孫 (kitsune no mago, “Justicia procumbens, also known as water willow”)
- 神楽太鼓 (kagura-daiko, “large taiko drum used in kagura performances”)
- 神楽笛 (kagurabue, “flute used in kagura performances”)
- 神楽殿 (kaguraden, “building used for kagura performances”)
- 神楽堂 (kaguradō, “building used for kagura performances”)
- 神楽姫 (kagura-bime): alternate for 神楽巫女: a woman, generally unmarried, who performs kagura
- 神楽面 (kagura omote, “kagura performer”)
- 神楽面 (kagura men, “kagura mask”)
- 神楽鈴 (kagura suzu, “bell used for kagura performances”)
- 神楽和琴秘譜 (Kagura Wagon Hifu): the title of a piece of kagura music
Proper noun
神楽 (shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 神樂, hiragana かぐら, rōmaji Kagura)
- a place name
- a surname
- a female given name
Etymology 3
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 神 | 楽 |
| じん Grade: 3 |
らく Grade: 2 |
| on’yomi | |
Probably from Middle Chinese 神樂 (MC ʑiɪn lɑk̚, literally “god, spirit + happy; music”).
Proper noun
神楽 (shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 神樂, hiragana じんらく, rōmaji Jinraku)
- a place name
- a surname
References
- 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
- 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
- 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN