危機一髪

Japanese

Kanji in this term
危	機	一	髪
き Grade: 6	き Grade: 4	いつ > いっ Grade: 1	はつ > ぱつ Grade: S
kan'yōon	kan'on

Alternative spelling
危機一髮 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

Compound of 危機 (kiki, “crisis”) +‎ 一髪 (ippatsu, “one hair”),^[1]^[2]^[3] where 一髪 (ippatsu) is in reference to the Chinese expression 千鈞一髮 / 千钧一发 (qiānjūnyīfà), alluding to a 15,000-kilogram weight suspended by a single strand of hair.^[4]

First attested in 1902.^[1]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) きき・いっぱつ [kíꜜkì ìppátsúꜜ] (Atamadaka + Odaka – [1]-[4])^[3]^[4]

(Tokyo) きき・いっぱつ [kìkíꜜ ìppátsúꜜ] (Odaka + Odaka – [2]-[4])^[5]

(Tokyo) ききいっぱつ [kíꜜkì ìppàtsù] (Atamadaka – [1])^[5]
IPA^(key): [kʲikʲi ip̚pa̠t͡sɨ]

Noun

危(き)機(き)一(いっ)髪(ぱつ) • (kiki ippatsu)

[from 1902] imminent danger, a close call: a situation where danger is so high that the tiniest mistake could result in failure
危(き)機(き)一(いっ)髪(ぱつ)の瞬(しゅん)間(かん)
kiki ippatsu no shunkan
close call of the moment

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 “危機一髪”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
^ “危機一髪”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎^[2] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[KDJ2-1] 1.0 ^1.1 “危機一髪”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006

[DDJS-2] “危機一髪”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎^[2] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months

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

[SMK5-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-5] 5.0 ^5.1 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

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