かしら

Japanese

Alternative spelling
か知ら

Etymology 1

Apocopic shift from かしらん (ka shiran), in turn from か (ka, question particle: “if, whether, ?”) + しらぬ (shiranu, “to not know”, classical negative form of 知る (shiru, “to know”)). Literally means “don't know whether...”

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ka̠ ɕiɾa̠]

Particle

かしら • (ka shira)  (women's speech)

1. [from 1896] I wonder

   彼(かれ)は怪(あや)しい人(ひと)かしら。

   Kare wa ayashii hito ka shira.

   I wonder if he's a suspicious person.

2. [from roughly 1820s] interrogative particle

   ご存(ぞん)じかしら？

   Go zon ji ka shira?

   I wonder if you have heard of that? / Perhaps you've heard of that?

   誰(だれ)かしらあの家(いえ)に引(ひ)っ越(こ)してくるだろう。

   Dare ka shira ano ie ni hikkoshite kuru darō.

   Someone or other will probably move into that house.

Usage notes

• かしら (ka shira) is similar to かな (ka na), but is used more by women than by men. The I wonder sense always comes at the end.

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of かしら – see the following entry.

【頭】2 [counter] a head, as when counting people, or cattle or other livestock [noun] 頭: the head as a whole [noun] 頭: boss, leader [noun] 頭: top part of a Chinese character [noun] 頭, 首: the head of a doll Alternative spelling 首

(This term, かしら (kashira), is the hiragana spelling of the above term.) For a list of all kanji read as かしら, see Category:Japanese kanji read as かしら.

Okinawan

Etymology

First attested as 카시라 (/⁠kʰa.si.ra⁠/) (Haytong Ceykwukki, 1501).

Cognate with Japanese かしら, Yaeyama かしら.

Noun

かしら (kashira) 

1. hair

   あがりあかがれば墨習れが行きゆんかしら結てたばうれ我親がなし

   As soon as the eastern sky brightens, I shall go to pursue my studies. Please tie my hair, Mother.

2. (role) superior, leader

Derived terms

• かしらぎー (kashiragī)
• かしら役(やく) (kashirayaku)
• 片(かた)髪(かしら) (katakashira)
• メーカタカシラ (mēkatakashira)
• かしら立(た)ちゅん (kashiratachun)
• カタカシラユーイ (katakashirayūi)
• メーカタカシラー (mēkatakashirā)
• カタカシラユーヤー (katakashirayūyā)

References

• https://www.jlect.com/search.php?r=%E3%81%8B%E3%81%97%E3%82%89&l=ryukyu&group=words

Yaeyama

Etymology

First attested as 카시라 (/⁠kʰa.si.ra⁠/) (Haytong Ceykwukki, 1501).

Cognate with Japanese かしら, Okinawan かしら.

Noun

かしら (kashira) 

1. flag finial
2. hair

Derived terms

• カシラマラスン (kashiramarasun)
• かしら持(む)ち (kashiramuchi)
• 片(かた)髪(かしら) (katakashira)
• ヤマカシラ (yamakashira)

References

• https://www.jlect.com/search.php?r=%E3%81%8B%E3%81%97%E3%82%89&l=ryukyu&group=words