手弱女

Japanese

Kanji in this term
手	弱	女
Grade: 1 (ateji)	Grade: 2 (ateji)	め Grade: 1
irregular		kun’yomi

Etymology

⟨tawayame₁⟩ → */tawayamʲe/ → */tawəyame/ → /tawoyame/ → /taoyame/

Shift from Old Japanese 手弱女 (tawayame₁). (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

The use of 手弱 is an example of ateji (当て字), see classical verb 手弱し (tayowashi, “frail, weak”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) たおやめ [tàóyámé] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ta̠o̞ja̠me̞]

Noun

手弱女(たおやめ) • (taoyame) ^{←たをやめ (tawoyame)?}

1. a beautiful and tender lady

   Antonym: 益荒男 (masurao)

2. (by extension) a prostitute

Derived terms

• 手弱(たおや)女振(めぶ)り (taoyameburi)
• 嬌女(たおやめ)柳(やなぎの)帯(おび)曳(ひき) (Taoyame Yanagi no Obihiki)

Old Japanese

Etymology

Possibly from 撓や (tawaya-, stem of modern adjective たわやか (tawayaka, “bendy, supple”); and cognate with verb 撓む (tawamu), “to bend, lose heart”) +‎ 女 (me₁, “woman”). (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) たわやめ [tàwáyámé] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) たわや​め [tàwáyáꜜmè] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [ta̠ɰᵝa̠ja̠me̞]

Noun

手弱女 (tawayame₁) (kana たわやめ)

1. a beautiful and tender lady

   Antonym: 益荒男 (masurawo)

   • 711–712, Kojiki, (First scroll, descendants of Susanoo no mikoto):

     ...我心淸明、故我所生子得手弱女...

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 15, poem 3753:

     , text here

     安波牟日能可多美尓世与等多和也女能於毛比美太礼弖奴敝流許呂母曾

     apamu pi₁ no₂ katami₁ ni seyo₂ to₂ tawayame₁ no₂ omopi₁mi₁darete nupe₁ru ko₂ro₂mo zo₂

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Descendants

• Japanese: 手弱女 (taoyame)

References

• Ivan Morris (2014) The Nobility of Failure: Tragic Heroes in the History of Japan, BookBaby, →ISBN