雀斑

Chinese

bird; lentigo; sparrow variegated
simp. and trad.
(雀斑)
alternative forms 雀癍
雀瘢
Literally: “sparrow patches”.

Pronunciation


Noun

雀斑

  1. (dermatology) freckle (Classifier: m)

Synonyms

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (雀斑):
  • Japanese: (じゃく)(はん) (jakuhan)
  • Korean: 작반(雀斑) (jakban)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
そばかす
Jinmeiyō Grade: S
jukujikun
Alternative spelling
蕎麦滓

Etymology

Compound of 蕎麦 (soba, buckwheat) +‎ (kasu, dregs, leftovers, more specifically, the hulls),[1][2][3][4] from the superficial resemblance of freckles to scattered buckwheat hulls, in color and shape.[2]

First attested from 1655.[1]

The kanji are an orthographic borrowing from Chinese 雀斑.

Pronunciation

Noun

雀斑(そばかす) • (sobakasu

  1. [from 1655] (dermatology) freckles
    Synonym: 雀卵斑 (jakuranhan)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 蕎麦滓”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
  2. 2.0 2.1 蕎麦滓”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎[2] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
  3. 3.0 3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  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