五月雨

Japanese

Kanji in this term
五	月	雨

Etymology 1

A compound of prefix sa and midare. The initially /sa/ is a prefix meaning early and is cognate with that found in satsuki and saotome. /midare/ is likely midare (“water fall”). Literally "rain of the fifth month", does not refer to May but to the fifth month in the lunar calendar. The kanji are ateji.

Noun

五月雨 (hiragana さみだれ, romaji samidare)

1. a heavy rain that occurs around the fifth lunar moon; an early summer rain
   • 1603–1604: Nippo Jisho (page 552)

     Samidare. サミダレ (五月雨) Goguatno ame. (五月の雨) Nagaxi (ながし)と呼ばれる, [陰暦]五月の雨.

2. that which repeats over and over without lasting long

Etymology 2

A compound of satsuki (“fifth lunar moon”) and ame (“rain”).

Noun

五月雨 (hiragana さつきあめ, romaji satsukiame)

1. a heavy rain that occurs around the fifth lunar moon; an early summer rain
   • 1603–1604: Nippo Jisho (page 560)

     Satçuqiame. (サツキアメ) (皐月雨) Samidare (五月雨)に同じ. [陰暦]五月の雨.

References

• 1980 May 11 [1603–1604], Tadao Doi, Hōyaku Nippo Jisho (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, ISBN 4-0008-0021-3: