反故

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
反	故
ほん Grade: 3	く > ぐ Grade: 5
goon

Alternative spelling
反古

• [pongu] > [ɸongu] > [hongu]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [honɡu]

Noun

反(ほん)故(ぐ) • (hongu) 

1. paper that has become useless; wastepaper
2. something that is useless

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
反	故
ほう Grade: 3	く > ぐ Grade: 5
irregular	goon

Alternative spelling
反古

• [poːgu] > [ɸoːgu] > [hoːgu]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [hoːɡu]

Noun

反(ほう)故(ぐ) • (hōgu) 

1. paper that has become useless; wastepaper
   • 1603–1604, Nippo Jisho (page 258)

     Fôgu. ホゥグ (反古) 書きよごした紙, または, もう役に立たない紙, まはた, 書き直したり書きよごしたりした習字手本.

   • 1603–1604, Nippo Jisho (page 260)

     Fongo. ホンゴ (反古) Fôgu (反古)の条を見よ. それというのは,このように〔Fongoと〕書かれるけれども,Fôgu (ほうぐ)と発音されるからである. 書きよごした紙などの意.

2. something that is useless

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
反	故
ほ Grade: 3	く > ぐ Grade: 5
irregular	goon

Alternative spelling
反古

• [pogu] > [ɸogu] > [hogu]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [hoɡu]

Noun

反(ほ)故(ぐ) • (hogu) 

1. paper that has become useless; wastepaper
2. something that is useless

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
反	故
ほん Grade: 3	こ > ご Grade: 5
goon	kan’on

Alternative spelling
反古

• [pongo] > [ɸongo] > [hongo]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [honɡo]

Noun

反(ほん)故(ご) • (hongo) 

1. paper that has become useless; wastepaper
   • 1603–1604, Nippo Jisho (page 260)

     Fongo. ホンゴ (反古) Fôgu (反古)の条を見よ. それというのは,このように〔Fongoと〕書かれるけれども,Fôgu (ほうぐ)と発音されるからである. 書きよごした紙などの意.

2. something that is useless

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
反	故
ほう Grade: 3	こ > ご Grade: 5
irregular	kan’on

Alternative spelling
反古

• [poːgo] > [ɸoːgo] > [hoːgo]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [hoːɡo]

Noun

反(ほう)故(ご) • (hōgo) 

1. paper that has become useless; wastepaper
2. something that is useless

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
反	故
ほ Grade: 3	こ > ご Grade: 5
irregular	kan’on

Alternative spelling
反古

• [pogo] > [ɸogo] > [hogo]

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ほ​ご [hóꜜgò] (Atamadaka – [1])
• (Tokyo) ほご​ [hògóꜜ] (Odaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ho̞ɡo̞]

Noun

反(ほ)故(ご) • (hogo) 

1. paper that has become useless; wastepaper

   Synonyms: 反故紙 (hogogami), 故紙 (koshi), 紙屑 (kamikuzu)

   • 1915, 夏目漱石, 道草‎^[1], 青空文庫:

     　二人(ふたり)が帰(かえ)ったあとで、細君(さいくん)は夫(おっと)の前(まえ)に置(お)いてある二通(につう)の書付(かきつけ)を開(ひら)いて見(み)た。
     「こっちの方(ほう)は虫(むし)が食(く)ってますね」
     「反故(ほご)だよ。何(なん)にもならないもんだ。破(やぶ)いて紙屑籠(かみくずかご)へ入(い)れてしまえ」

     Futari ga kaetta ato de, saikun wa otto no mae ni oite aru nitsū no kakitsuke o hiraite mita.
     “Kotchi no hō wa mushi ga kutte masu ne”
     “Hogo da yo. Nan ni mo naranai mon da. Yabuite kamikuzukago e irete shimae”

     After the two had left, his wife opened up the two documents in front of him and looked at them.
     “This one has been eaten by worms.”
     “They’re wastepaper. They’re completely useless. Go ahead and tear them up and put them in the wastebasket.”

2. something that is useless

Usage notes

This is the most common reading in modern Japanese.

Derived terms

• 反故(ほご)にする (hogo ni suru)
• 反故紙(ほごがみ) (hogogami)
• 古反故(ふるほご) (furuhogo)

References

• Doi, Tadao (1603–1604) Hōyaku Nippo Jisho (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, published 1980, →ISBN.