こぶし

Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spelling
拳

Probably from Old Japanese. First cited to a text from 810 CE.

Japanese dictionaries do not list any further derivation. A surface analysis suggests that this term might be a compound. If so, possibly from 小 (ko, diminutive prefix) + 節 (fushi, “joint; knuckle; knob”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) こぶし [kòbúshí] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ko̞bɯ̟ᵝɕi]

Noun

こぶし • (kobushi) ^{←こぶし (kobusi)?}

1. [from 810] fist
2. [from early 1300s] the shape of the hand when gripping a sword hilt
3. [from early 1300s] (by extension) swordsmanship, ability with a sword

   Synonym: 腕前 (udemae, “ability”)

4. [from 1500s] the shape of the hand when gripping a bow
5. [from 1500s] (by extension) bowmanship, ability with a bow

   Synonym: 腕前 (udemae, “ability”)

6. [from 1588] (by extension from the fist of a falconer) huntsmanship, hunting ability

Derived terms

• 握(にぎ)り拳(こぶし) (nigirikobushi)

Etymology 2

Alternative spellings
辛夷 拳

こぶし (kobushi): the kobushi magnolia.

Originally a shortening of the older name, 拳椒 (kobushi hajikami, literally “fist pepper, fist ginger”), where the kobushi was in reference to the resemblance of an unopened bud to a child's fist, and the hajikami was probably in reference to the pungency of the seeds when bitten, or to the pungent odor of the plant when injured.

First referenced in a text from roughly 1165.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) こぶし [kòbúshí] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) こ​ぶし [kóꜜbùshì] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ko̞bɯ̟ᵝɕi]

Noun

こぶし or コブシ • (kobushi) ^{←こぶし (kobusi)?}

1. [from circa 1165] the Kobushi magnolia, Magnolia kobus

   Synonyms: 拳椒 (kobushi hajikami), 山蘭 (yama araragi, literally “mountain garlic”)

   • 1977, “Kitaguni no Haru [Spring in the North]”, Haku Ide (lyrics), Minoru Endō (music), performed by Masao Sen:

     白(しら)樺(かば)　青(あお)空(ぞら)　南(みなみ)風(かぜ)　こぶし咲(さ)くあの丘(おか)北(きた)国(ぐに)の　ああ北(きた)国(ぐに)の春(はる)

     shirakaba aozora minamikaze kobushi saku ano oka kitaguni no ā kitaguni no haru

     White birches, the blue sky, [and] the southerly on that hill up North where the magnolias bloom, ah, spring in the North!

Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as コブシ.

Further reading

• Entry at Nihon Jiten (in Japanese)

Etymology 3

Alternative spelling
小節

Compound of 小 (ko, “small”) +‎ 節 (fushi, “knot; section; melody”).

First cited to a text from 1633.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) こぶし [kòbúshí] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ko̞bɯ̟ᵝɕi]

Noun

こぶし • (kobushi) ^{←こぶし (kobusi)?}

1. [from 1633] a small knot in wood; lumber or timber with small knots
2. [from 1872] a small piece of 鰹節 (katsuo-bushi, “hard-dried skipjack tuna”)
3. [from 1902] (music) a portion of the melody in traditional Japanese singing (as well as kayōkyoku, enka) that uses melisma

   小(こ)節(ぶし)を回(まわ)す

   kobushi o mawasu

   to use melisma in the melody

See also

• ぐいん (guin, “a Ryukyuan type of melisma”)

Etymology 4

For pronunciation and definitions of こぶし – see the following entry.

【古武士】 [noun] a warrior of ancient times [noun] an old-school warrior (particularly emphasizing honor and steely resolve)

(This term, こぶし, is the hiragana spelling of the above term.) For a list of all kanji read as こぶし, see Category:Japanese kanji read as こぶし.)