Chinese edit

devil
 
God; unusual; mysterious
God; unusual; mysterious; soul; spirit; divine essence; lively; spiritual being
trad. (魔神)
simp. #(魔神)
alternative forms 毛神 Hokkien
旡神 Hokkien
anagram 神魔

Pronunciation edit


Noun edit

魔神

  1. ghost; demon; evil spirit
  2. (Xiamen, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou Hokkien) rambling and unreasonable person; lunatic

Synonyms edit

Adjective edit

魔神

  1. (Hokkien) mentally unbalanced; crazy and unfounded; rambling and unreasonable

Derived terms edit

Japanese edit

Etymology 1 edit

Kanji in this term

Grade: S
じん
Grade: 3
goon
Alternative spelling
魔神 (kyūjitai)

From Middle Chinese 魔神 (MC ma zyin, literally “demon, evil spirit” + “god, spirit”). Compare modern Mandarin 魔神 (móshén).

The goon reading, so likely the reading as originally imported from Middle Chinese.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

()(じん) (majin

  1. a malevolent deity that causes misfortune and disaster
  2. an evil spirit
Usage notes edit

The mashin reading appears to be less common than the majin reading.

Synonyms edit

Etymology 2 edit

Kanji in this term

Grade: S
しん
Grade: 3
goon kan’on
Alternative spelling
魔神 (kyūjitai)

Shift in pronunciation from majin, using the kan'on reading of shin for .

/mad͡ʑin//maɕin/

A mixed goon-kan'on reading reading, so likely a later development after borrowing.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

()(しん) (mashin

  1. a malevolent deity that causes misfortune and disaster
  2. an evil spirit
Usage notes edit

The mashin reading appears to be less common than the majin reading.

Synonyms edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN