天が下

Compound of 天 (ame, “heaven, heavens”) +‎ が (ga, Old Japanese possessive particle between two nouns) +‎ 下 (shita, “under, beneath”).^[1]

Arose as the native Japanese kun'yomi for Middle Chinese compound 天下 (*ten *ha).^[1] Compare also Japanese 天下 (​tenka), modern Mandarin 天下 (tiānxià).

Generally superseded by the term 天の下 (​ame no shita), using the more modern possessive particle の (​no).

• IPA^(key): [a̠me̞ ɡa̠ ɕi̥ta̠]

天(あめ)が下(した) • (ame ga shita) 

1. alternative form of 天の下: the whole world, under heaven; the people of the country or nation; the imperial court; the administration, the government; all of Japan

• 天が下知る (あめがしたしる, ​ame ga shita shiru): “to know the lands under heaven” → to control all of Japan, to reign supreme

• 天下 (てんか, ​tenka)
• 天の下 (あめのした, ​ame no shita)