神奈川

Chinese

		God; unusual; mysterious God; unusual; mysterious; soul; spirit; divine essence; lively; spiritual being	how can one help	river; creek; plain river; creek; plain; an area of level country; Sichuan province (abbrev.)
trad. (神奈川)		神	奈	川
simp. ^#(神奈川)		神	奈	川

Etymology

Orthographic borrowing from Japanese 神奈川(かながわ) (kanagawa). The Japanese placename is first attested as 神奈河 in a 1266 document concerning 鶴岡八幡宮, referring to an area around present-day 横浜市神奈川区.^[1] Medieval sources also record such forms as 金河, 狩野河, 神名河, かな川, and かの川, suggesting an older river name with a variable kana-/kano- form. The modern spelling 神奈川 is generally regarded as ateji, and the ultimate meaning of the first element is uncertain.^[2]^[3]

A traditional explanation derives the name from 上無川 (Kaminashigawa), with mi and shi supposedly omitted to yield Kanagawa, but 横浜市 lists this only as one of several theories and states that the true origin is unknown.^[4]

The prefectural name derives from this older local placename: the 神奈川奉行所 was established in 1859 following the opening of 横浜, and 神奈川県 became the official name in 1868.^[5]

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): Shénnàichuān

(Zhuyin): ㄕㄣˊ ㄋㄞˋ ㄔㄨㄢ
Cantonese (Jyutping): san⁴ noi⁶ cyun¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: Shénnàichuān
  - Zhuyin: ㄕㄣˊ ㄋㄞˋ ㄔㄨㄢ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: Shénnàichuan
  - Wade–Giles: Shên²-nai⁴-chʻuan¹
  - Yale: Shén-nài-chwān
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Shernnaychuan
  - Palladius: Шэньнайчуань (Šɛnʹnajčuanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂən³⁵ naɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: san⁴ noi⁶ cyun¹
  - Yale: sàhn noih chyūn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: san⁴ noi⁶ tsyn¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: sen⁴ noi⁶ qun¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐn²¹ nɔːi̯²² t͡sʰyːn⁵⁵/

Proper noun

神奈川

(～縣) Kanagawa (a prefecture of Japan)

References

^ “神奈川町”, in 日本歴史地名大系‎^[1] (in Japanese), 平凡社, 8 August 2026 (last accessed)
^ “神奈河郷（中世）”, in 角川日本地名大辞典‎^[2] (in Japanese), 角川書店, 8 August 2026 (last accessed)
^ “「神奈川」という現在の漢字表記が初めて使われたのはいつ、何に掲載されたか。また、その表記となった由来について知りたい。”, in レファレンス協同データベース‎^[3] (in Japanese), 国立国会図書館, 8 August 2026 (last accessed)
^ “神奈川区の歴史年表”, in 横浜市神奈川区‎^[4] (in Japanese), 横浜市, 8 August 2026 (last accessed)
^ “神奈川県の県名由来・立庁記念日”, in 神奈川県ホームページ‎^[5] (in Japanese), 神奈川県, 8 August 2026 (last accessed), archived from the original on 17 July 2026

Japanese

Kanji in this term
神	奈	川
かん > か Grade: 3	な Grade: 4	かわ > がわ Grade: 1
kun'yomi	goon	kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
神奈川 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

The name of a port near present-day Kanagawa-ku in Kanagawa Prefecture that served as a stop on the Tōkaidō, the historical route from Edo to Kyoto during the Edo period. The name is perhaps related to 上無川 (Kaminashigawa), a river near Edo. Attested from the 17th century. Variously written as かな川, 金川, 狩野川, or かぬ川 in historical texts.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ka̠na̠ɡa̠β̞a̠]
(Tokyo) かながわ [kànáꜜgàwà] (Nakadaka – [2])

Proper noun

神(か)奈(な)川(がわ) • (Kanagawa) ^{←かながは (Kanagafa)^?}

a placename, especially:
1. short for 神奈川県 (Kanagawa-ken): Kanagawa Prefecture
2. short for 神奈川区 (Kanagawa-ku): a ward in Yokohama, the prefectural capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture
a surname

Derived terms

神奈(かな)川(がわ)条(じょう)約(やく) (Kanagawa Jōyaku)
神奈(かな)川(がわ)奉行(ぶぎょう) (Kanagawa Bugyō)

Descendants

→ Chinese: 神奈川 (Shénnàichuān)
→ English: Kanagawa
→ Russian: Канага́ва f (Kanagáva)

References

“かながわ”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[6] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006

[1] “神奈川町”, in 日本歴史地名大系‎^[1] (in Japanese), 平凡社, 8 August 2026 (last accessed)

[2] “神奈河郷（中世）”, in 角川日本地名大辞典‎^[2] (in Japanese), 角川書店, 8 August 2026 (last accessed)

[3] “「神奈川」という現在の漢字表記が初めて使われたのはいつ、何に掲載されたか。また、その表記となった由来について知りたい。”, in レファレンス協同データベース‎^[3] (in Japanese), 国立国会図書館, 8 August 2026 (last accessed)

[4] “神奈川区の歴史年表”, in 横浜市神奈川区‎^[4] (in Japanese), 横浜市, 8 August 2026 (last accessed)

[5] “神奈川県の県名由来・立庁記念日”, in 神奈川県ホームページ‎^[5] (in Japanese), 神奈川県, 8 August 2026 (last accessed), archived from the original on 17 July 2026

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