Chinese

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uncle in direct address female; mother
simp. and trad.
(叔母)

Pronunciation

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Noun

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叔母

  1. paternal aunt (wife of father's younger brother)

Synonyms

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Japanese

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Kanji in this term
Grade: S Grade: 2
irregular
Alternative spellings
伯母
小母

Etymology

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From Old Japanese. Attested in a text from 701.[1] In turn, reconstructed as descending from Proto-Japonic *wonpa.

Likely a compound of (o-, small, young) +‎ (ha, mother).[1] Compare 叔父 (oji, grandfather), also likely from (o-) +‎ (chi, father).[2]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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叔母(おば) (obaをば (woba)?

  1. aunt (younger than one’s parent)
  2. a prostitute
  3. (slang, used by criminals) prison guard

Usage notes

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  • This term is spelled in hiragana when referring to non-age-specific relatives.

Coordinate terms

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 お‐ば[を‥] 【伯母・叔母・小母・姨】 ”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎[1] (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
  2. ^ お‐じ[をぢ] 【爺・伯父・叔父・小父】 ”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎[2] (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
  3. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  4. ^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1974), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Second edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō
  5. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN