蜀黍

蜀黍

1. sorghum
2. (slang) Alternative form of 叔叔 (shūshu, “uncle”) (term of address for older men, especially those with unacceptable sexual habits)

Compound of 唐 (morokoshi, “China in general; (by extension) foreign”) +‎ 黍 (kibi, “millet”).

The spelling is from Chinese.[1] See shokusho below.

• (Irregular reading)
  • (Tokyo) もろこしき​び [mòrókóshí kíꜜbì] (Nakadaka – [5])
  • IPA^(key): [mo̞ɾo̞ko̞ɕi kʲibʲi]

• 唐黍

蜀黍 (hiragana もろこしきび, rōmaji morokoshi kibi)

1. sorghum

The longer term morokoshi kibi has been largely replaced by the shorter form morokoshi below.

• 蜀黍 (もろこし) (morokoshi), 唐黍 (もろこし) (morokoshi)
• 唐黍 (とうきび) (tōkibi)
• 高黍 (たかきび) (takakibi)

蜀黍 (morokoshi kibi, morokoshi, shokusho): sorghum.

Abbreviation of morokoshi kibi above, with the abbreviated reading then re-applied to the entire kanji compound.[1]

• (Irregular reading)
  • (Tokyo) もろこし [mòrókóshí] (Heiban – [0])[2]
  • IPA^(key): [mo̞ɾo̞ko̞ɕi]

• 唐黍

蜀黍 (hiragana もろこし, rōmaji morokoshi)

1. sorghum
2. maize, corn (especially corn on the cob)

• (sorghum): 蜀黍 (もろこし) (morokoshi), 唐黍 (もろこし) (morokoshi), 唐黍 (とうきび) (tōkibi), 高黍 (たかきび) (takakibi)
• (maize): 玉蜀黍 (とうもろこし) (tōmorokoshi), 唐黍 (とうきび) (tōkibi)

The term 玉蜀黍 (tōmorokoshi) is more common for the maize sense.

From Middle Chinese compound 蜀黍 (dzyowk syo^X, literally “Shu (old place name) + millet”). The ancient state of Shu is roughly analogous to modern Sichuan province.

This reading appears to be rare, and may be obsolete.

• On’yomi: Kan’on
  • IPA^(key): [ɕo̞kɯ̟ᵝɕo̞]

蜀黍 (hiragana しょくしょ, rōmaji shokusho)

1. (rare, possibly obsolete) sorghum