あけび

Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spellings
通草 木通 蓪

ripe fruit of Akebia quinata

Uncertain, with a couple different theories. Some include:

• A shift from akemi, as a compound of 開け (ake, the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 開(あ)ける (akeru, “to open something”)) +‎ 実 (mi, “fruit, seed”).

However, the stem ake is from the transitive verb, and this fruit opens on its own.

• A shift from akami, as a compound of 赤 (aka, “red”) +‎ 実 (mi, “fruit, seed”).

There is also the term 赤 (ake, “red”), but this is only used as a standalone noun, and not in compounds.

Both theories are problematic and require an irregular shift in the reading of 実 from mi to bi, which is not attested in other words.

Female genitalia sense possibly from the shape of the ripened and opened fruit.

First attested in the Shinsen Jikyō (898-901 CE).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あけび [àkébí] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [a̠ke̞bʲi]

Noun

あけび or アケビ • (akebi) ^{←あけび (akebi)?}

1. chocolate vine (Akebia quinata) [from late 800s CE]
2. generic name for the genus Akebia [date uncertain]
3. (slang) female genitalia [date uncertain]

   Synonym: 女陰 (join)

4. (criminal slang) the eye [from 1915]

   Synonym: (standard) 目 (me)

Usage notes

• As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as アケビ (akebi).

Synonyms

• 郁子(むべ) (mube)

Descendants

• Translingual: Akebia

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of あけび – see the following entry.

【明日ぬくい】 [proper noun] a surname Alternative spellings あけひ, みょうが, ぬくひ

(This term, あけび (akebi), is the hiragana spelling of the above term.) For a list of all kanji read as あけび, see Category:Japanese kanji read as あけび.