不知火

Japanese

Kanji in this term
不	知	火
しらぬ		ひ > い Grade: 1
Grade: 4	Grade: 2
jukujikun		kun’yomi

Etymology

/ɕiranu ɸi/ → /ɕiranuwi/ → /ɕiranui/

From 知らぬ (shiranu, “unknown”, archaic negative form of 知る (shiru), “to know”) +‎ 火 (hi, “fire”). Literally “unknown fire”, incorporating the 不知 kanbun or Chinese-derived spelling for the 知らぬ (shiranu, “not know(n), unknown”) portion.

First attested in a text from 1470.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しらぬい [shìránúí] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) しら​ぬい [shìráꜜnùì] (Nakadaka – [2])
• (Tokyo) しらぬ​い [shìránúꜜì] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [ɕiɾa̠nɯ̟ᵝi]

Noun

不知(しらぬ)火(い) • (shiranui) ^{←しらぬひ (siranufi)?}

1. [from 1470] a marine will o' the wisp, more specifically one seen off the coasts of Kyushu in the Yatsushiro Sea or Ariake Sea

   Synonyms: 陰火 (inka), 鬼火 (onibi), 狐火 (kitsunebi), 野火 (yaka), 幽霊火 (yūreibi)

Derived terms

• 不知(しらぬ)火(い)海(かい) (Shiranui Kai): an alternate name for the Yatsushiro Sea

See also

• 白縫(しらぬい) (shiranui, pillow word)

Proper noun

不知(しらぬ)火(い) • (Shiranui) ^{←しらぬひ (Siranufi)?}

1. a place name
2. a surname

Derived terms

• 不知(しらぬ)火(い)型(がた) (Shiranui-gata): one of the kata (routines) performed by a yokozuna (highest sumo rank) when entering the dohyō (sumo ring)