祖神

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
祖	神
そ Grade: 5	しん Grade: 3
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
祖神 (kyūjitai)

From Middle Chinese compound 祖神 (MC tsuX zyin). Compare modern Mandarin 祖神 (zǔshén).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) そ​しん [sóꜜshìǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [so̞ɕĩɴ]

Noun

祖(そ)神(しん) • (soshin) 

1. (mythology, Shinto) the deification of an ancestor
2. (mythology, Shinto) Amaterasu, as an ancestor of the imperial family

Usage notes

Sometimes also encountered as sojin, although this reading is less common.

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
祖	神
おや Grade: 5	かみ > がみ Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
祖神 (kyūjitai)

Compound of 祖 (oya, “parent; forebear, ancestor”) +‎ 神 (kami, “god, spirit”). The kami changes to gami as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) おや​がみ [òyáꜜgàmì] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [o̞ja̠ɡa̠mʲi]

Noun

祖(おや)神(がみ) • (oyagami) 

1. a god as an ancestor, an ancestral god

See also

• 守護(しゅご)神(しん) (shugoshin): a tutelary deity
• Veneration of the dead on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Bon Festival on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Shintō on Wikipedia.Wikipedia