神楽

See also: 神樂

Japanese

Etymology 1

Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:

神楽

Wikipedia ^ja

English Wikipedia has an article on:

Kagura

Wikipedia

神楽 (kagura): a performance of 八王子の舞 (Hachiōji no Mai) at Tokuyama Shrine.

Kanji in this term
神	楽
かむ > か Grade: 3	くら > ぐら Grade: 2
irregular	jukujikun

Alternative spelling
神樂 (kyūjitai)

/kamu kura/ → /kankura/ → /kaŋɡura/ → /kaɡura/

From Old Japanese.

Originally a compound of 神 (kamu, “spirit, god”, combining form) +‎ 座 (kura, “seat”).^[1]^[2]^[3] The kura changes to gura as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

The original compound referred to the place used to call down the 神 (kami, “spirits and gods”) to earth, when a 巫女 (miko, “shrine maiden”) would act as a medium for the kami. Over time, the term came to refer to the music and dance of the ceremony. The use of the 楽 character here is an example of jukujikun (熟字訓), reflecting the change in meaning.

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) かぐら [káꜜgùrà] (Atamadaka – [1])^[3]
IPA^(key): [ka̠ɡɯ̟ᵝɾa̠]

Noun

神(か)楽(ぐら) • (kagura)

(Shinto) sacred dancing and music performed at Shintō ceremonies, often by miko, to honor Shintō spirits and gods
Synonym: 神遊び (kamiasobi)
bugaku (a type of traditional dancing and music) performed by regular people in front of a Shintō shrine
Synonyms: 里神楽 (sato kagura), 太太神楽 (daidai kagura)
a type of Noh dancing and music
a type of kabuki musical accompaniment
Short for 御神楽 (o-kagura): a flat-topped house initially built with one storey, with additional storeys added later

Derived terms

神楽(かぐら)歌(うた) (kagura uta, “kagura song”)
神楽(かぐら)諷(うた)雲(くも)井(いの)曲(きょく)毬(まり) (Kagura Uta Kumoi no Kyokumari): the title of a kabuki play, roughly "Kagura Uta: Juggling to Entertain the Gods"
神楽(かぐら)男(お) (kagurao), 神楽(かぐら)男(おとこ) (kagura otoko, “man who performs kagura”)
神楽(かぐら)岡(おか) (Kagura Oka): Kagura Hill, a place in Kyōto, also known as Yamada Yama (Yamada Mountain) and site of Yamada Jinja (Yamada Shrine)
神楽(かぐら)月(づき) (kagurazuki): alternate name for the eleventh lunar month
神楽(かぐら)坂(ざか) (Kagurazaka): a place in the east of Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo
神楽(かぐら)笹(ざさ) (kagurazasa): alternate for 阿亀笹 (okamezasa, “Shibataea kumasaca, a type of short leafy bamboo”), or for 唐竹蘭 (tōchikuran, “a type of orchid, probably the Yunnanese spring orchid, Cymbidium goeringii subsp. goeringii var. forrestii”)
神楽(かぐら)桟(ざめ), 神楽(かぐら)鮫(ざめ) (kagurazame): the bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus
神楽(かぐら)山(さん) (kagurasan): alternate name for a 轆轤 (rokuro, “windlass”)
神楽(かぐら)師(し) (kagurashi, “professional kagura performer”)
神楽(かぐら)獅子(じし) (kagura-jishi): a lion dance performed as kagura; a pleasure quarter or red-light district euphemism for hairiness
神楽(かぐら)舎(しゃ) (kagurasha): the roofed stage at a shrine or imperial palace for performing kagura
神楽(かぐら)少女(おとめ) (kagura otome): alternate for 神楽巫女: a woman, generally unmarried, who performs kagura
神楽(かぐら)女(め) (kagurame): alternate for 神楽巫女: a woman, generally unmarried, who performs kagura
神楽(かぐら)巫女(みこ), 神楽(かぐら)神子(みこ) (kagura miko): a woman, generally unmarried, who performs kagura
神楽(かぐら)銭(せん) (kagurasen, “money received in thanks for a kagura performance”)
神楽(カグラ)草(ソウ) (kagurasō): alternate name for 狐の孫 (kitsune no mago, “Justicia procumbens, also known as water willow”)
神楽(かぐら)太鼓(だいこ) (kagura-daiko, “large taiko drum used in kagura performances”)
神楽(かぐら)笛(ぶえ) (kagurabue, “flute used in kagura performances”)
神楽(かぐら)殿(でん) (kaguraden, “building used for kagura performances”)
神楽(かぐら)堂(どう) (kaguradō, “building used for kagura performances”)
神楽(かぐら)姫(びめ) (kagura-bime): alternate for 神楽巫女: a woman, generally unmarried, who performs kagura
神楽(かぐら)面(おもて) (kagura omote, “kagura performer”)
神楽(かぐら)面(めん) (kagura men, “kagura mask”)
神楽(かぐら)鈴(すず) (kagura suzu, “bell used for kagura performances”)
神楽(かぐら)和琴(わごん)秘譜(ひふ) (Kagura Wagon Hifu): the title of a piece of kagura music

Proper noun

神(か)楽(ぐら) • (Kagura)

a place name
a surname
a female given name

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
神	楽
かみ Grade: 3	がく Grade: 2
yutōyomi

Alternative spelling
神樂 (kyūjitai)

Compound of 神 (kami, “spirit, god”) +‎ 楽 (gaku, “music”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ka̠mʲiɡa̠kɯ̟ᵝ]

Noun

神(かみ)楽(がく) • (kamigaku)

(rare) a type of dance in a Noh play, performed by the leading 翁 (okina, “old man”) character

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
神	楽
じん Grade: 3	らく Grade: 2
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
神樂 (kyūjitai)

Probably from Middle Chinese 神樂 (MC zyin lak, literally “god, spirit + happy”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [d͡ʑĩnɾa̠kɯ̟ᵝ]

Proper noun

神(じん)楽(らく) • (Jinraku)

a place name
a surname

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
神	楽
かむ > か Grade: 3	らき Grade: 2
irregular

Alternative spelling
神樂 (kyūjitai)

Unknown.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ka̠ɾa̠kʲi]

Proper noun

神(か)楽(らき) • (Karaki)

a surname

References

^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
^ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[KDJ-1] Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJS-2] Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

[2]

[3]