ほととぎす

Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spellings
子規 時鳥 杜宇 杜鵑 田鵑 蜀魂 郭公 不如帰

ほととぎす (hototogisu): a print of a flying lesser cuckoo by Utagawa Hiroshige.

From Old Japanese.

The final su is most likely す (su, “bird”, ancient term only found in old compounds), itself possibly cognate with Korean 새 (sae, “bird”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ほととぎす [hòtótóꜜgìsù] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [ho̞to̞to̞ɡʲisɨ]

Noun

ほととぎす or ホトトギス • (hototogisu) 

1. the lesser cuckoo, Cuculus poliocephalus

   Synonyms: 卯月鳥 (uzukidori), 沓手鳥 (kutsutedori), 時つ鳥 (tokitsudori), 時の鳥 (toki no tori)

   Hypernym: 郭公 (kakkō)

   • 1187, Senzai Wakashū (book 3, poem 161; also Hyakunin Isshu, poem 81)

     ほととぎす鳴(な)きつる方(かた)をながむればただ有明(ありあけ)の月(つき)ぞ残(のこ)れる

     hototogisu nakitsuru kata o nagamureba tada ariake no tsuki zo nokoreru

     When I gaze in the direction of the crying cuckoo, only the moon lingers in the dawn.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 杜鵑草(ホトトギス) (hototogisu, “toad lily”)
• 杜鵑(ホトトギス)貝(ガイ) (hototogisugai)
• 時鳥(ほととぎす)と兄(きょう)弟(だい) (Hototogisu to Kyōdai)
• 時鳥(ホトトギス)草(ソウ) (hototogisusō)
• ただ取(と)り山(やま)の時鳥(ほととぎす) (tada tori yama no hototogisu)
• 鳴(な)かぬなら鳴(な)くまで待(ま)とう時鳥(ほととぎす) (nakanunara naku made matō hototogisu)
• 目(め)には青(あお)葉(ば)山(やま)時鳥(ほととぎす)初(はつ)松魚(がつお) (me ni wa Aoba-yama hototogisu hatsugatsuo)
• 山(やま)ほととぎす (yama-hototogisu)

Proverbs

• あの声(こえ)で蜥蜴(とかげ)くらうかほととぎす (ano koe de tokage kurau ka hototogisu)
• 鶯(うぐいす)の卵(かいご)の中(なか)のほととぎす (uguisu no kaigo no naka no hototogisu)
• 子(こ)で子(こ)にならぬほととぎす (ko de ko ni naranu hototogisu)

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of ほととぎす – see the following entry.

【杜鵑草】 [noun] the toad lily, Tricyrtis hirta Alternative spellings 時鳥草, 油点草, ホトトギス

(This term, ほととぎす (hototogisu), is the hiragana spelling of the above term.) For a list of all kanji read as ほととぎす, see Category:Japanese kanji read as ほととぎす.)

Old Japanese

Etymology

From ほととぎ (poto₂to₂gi₁, onomatopoeic imitation of the bird's cry) +‎ す (-su, suffix representing birds).

Noun

ほととぎす (poto₂to₂gi₁su)

1. the lesser cuckoo, Cuculus poliocephalus
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 17, poem 3914:

     保登等芸須　今之来鳴者　餘呂豆代爾　可多理都具倍久　所念可母

     poto₂to₂gi₁su IMAsi KI₁NAKABA yo₂ro₂duyo₂ ni kataritugube₂ku OMOPOYUkamo

     If the cuckoo came and cried right now, I think it needs to go down throughout generations!

2. (poetic) allusion to 飛幡 (To₁bata, a placename)
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 12, poem 3165:
     , text here

     霍公鳥飛幡之浦爾敷浪乃屢君乎將見因毛鴨

     poto₂to₂gi₁su To₁bata-no₂-ura ni siku nami₁ no₂ sikusiku ki₁mi₁ wo mi₁mu yo₂si moga mo

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Derived terms

• 醜ほととぎす (siko₂-poto₂to₂gi₁su, “ugly cuckoo”)
• 元ほととぎす (moto₂-poto₂to₂gi₁su, “cuckoo that came and sang last year”)
• 山ほととぎす (yama-poto₂to₂gi₁su, “mountain cuckoo”)

Descendants

• Japanese: ほととぎす (hototogisu)