龍の馬

Old Japanese

Etymology

Calque of Middle Chinese 龍馬 (MC ljowng maeX).

Equivalent to a compound of 龍 (tatu, “dragon”) +‎ の (no₂, possessive particle) +‎ 馬 (uma, “horse”).

Due to either haplology or vowel clustering, the initial u of uma was lost. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Noun

龍の馬 (tatuno₂ma) (kana たつのま)

1. (idiomatic) an excellent or very fast horse
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 5, poem 806:

     多都能馬母伊麻勿愛弖之可阿遠爾與志奈良乃美夜古爾由吉帝己牟丹米

     tatuno₂ma mo ima mo etesi ka awoni yo₂si Nara no₂ mi₁yako₁ ni yuki₁te ko₂mu tame₂

     A dragon (or majestic) horse now I’d love to have, for the sake of coming to visit thee at the green-soiled capital of Nara [with it].

   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 5, poem 808:

     多都乃麻乎安禮波毛等米牟阿遠爾與志奈良乃美夜古邇許牟比等乃多仁

     tatuno₂ma wo are pa moto₂me₂mu awoni yo₂si Nara no₂ mi₁yako₁ ni ko₂mu pi₁to₂ no₂ ta ni

     That dragon (or majestic) horse I’d want to find, if thou wert coming to the green-soiled capital of Nara for a visit.

Descendants

• Japanese: 竜の馬 (tatsu no (u)ma), in modern dictionaries