言靈の幸ふ國

Old Japanese

Kanji in this term
言	靈	幸	國
こと Grade: 2	たま > だま Hyōgaiji	さきわ Grade: 3	くに Jinmeiyō
kun’yomi

Etymology

From a poem in the Man'yōshū (c. 759 CE), attributed to Yamanoue no Okura:

神代欲理云傳久良久虛見通倭國者皇神能伊都久志吉國言靈能佐吉播布國等加多利継伊比都賀比計理...

kami₂yo₂kamuyo₂ yo₁ri ipi₁tutekuraku so₁ra mi₁tu Yamato₂-no₂-kuni pa sume₂kami₂ no₂ itukusiki₁ kuni ko₂to₂dama no₂ saki₁papu kuni to₂ kataritugi₁ ipi₁tugapi₁ke₁ri...

Since the age of the gods, this has been passed down ever since: “Sky-spreading Yamato is the god's majestic country, the country blessed with kotodama.”

Noun

言靈の幸ふ國 (ko₂to₂dama no₂ saki₁papu kuni) (kana ことだまのさきはふくに)

1. an epithet for ancient Japan

Descendants

• Japanese: 言霊の幸う国 (kotodama no sakiwau kuni)