熊の胆

Japanese

Kanji in this term
熊	胆
くま Grade: 4	い Grade: S
kun'yomi

Alternative spellings
熊の膽 (kyūjitai) 熊胆

Etymology

Compound of 熊 (kuma, “bear”) +‎ の (no, genitive particle) +‎ 胆 (i, “gallbladder; liver”, archaic). Attested in the Shinsen Jikyō (898-901) as 熊伊, and in the Honzō Wamyō (918) as 久末乃以. The prisoner slang sense is derived from the color of such gallbladder.^[1]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) くまのい [kùmánóꜜì] (Nakadaka – [3])^[1]^[2]
IPA^(key): [kɯ̟ma̠no̞i]

(Kyoto) くまのい [kúmánóì] (Kōki)^[1]

Noun

熊(くま)の胆(い) • (kumanoi)

[from 1284] (dated) a dried gallbladder of a bear (used for digestive medicine)
Synonym: 熊胆 (yūtan)
[from 891-901] (obsolete) synonym of 朝鮮人参 (chōsen ninjin, “Panax ginseng”)
[from 1892] (prisoner cant) the soaking of an eggplant into salt

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Nihon Kokugo Daijiten Dai-ni-han Henshū I'inkai (日本国語大辞典第二版編集委員会) (2001-2002) 日本国語大辞典　第二版 [Unabridged Japanese Dictionary: Second Edition], Tokyo (東京都): Shōgakukan (小学館), →ISBN
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NKD2P-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Nihon Kokugo Daijiten Dai-ni-han Henshū I'inkai (日本国語大辞典第二版編集委員会) (2001-2002) 日本国語大辞典　第二版 [Unabridged Japanese Dictionary: Second Edition], Tokyo (東京都): Shōgakukan (小学館), →ISBN

[DJR-2] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

[2]