精霊

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
精	霊
せい Grade: 5	れい Grade: S
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
精靈 (kyūjitai)

From Middle Chinese 精靈 (MC tsjengH leng, literally “essence, spirit, soul + soul, spirit”). The kan'on, so likely a later borrowing.

Noun

1. the spirit or soul of a thing

   Synonyms: (“spirit, energy, essence of a thing”) 精気 (seiki), (“soul” in general) 魂 (tamashii)

2. the soul of someone who has died

   Synonyms: (“soul, spirit”, generally of a person) 霊魂 (reikon), (“soul” in general) 魂 (tamashii)

3. a supernatural spirit
   • 1999 July 5, “ドリアード [Dryade]”, in BOOSTER 3, Konami:

     森(もり)の精(せい)霊(れい)。草(くさ)木(き)の力(ちから)を借(か)りて相(あい)手(て)の動(うご)きを封(ふう)じる。

     Mori no seirei. Kusaki no chikara o karite aite no ugoki o fūjiru.

     A forest spirit. She borrows the life force of plants to block her opponents’ movements.

Usage notes

Not to be confused with 聖霊 (Seirei, “Holy Spirit”).

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
精	霊
しょう Grade: 5	りょう Grade: S
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
精靈 (kyūjitai)

From Middle Chinese 精靈 (MC tsjengH leng, literally “essence, spirit, soul + soul, spirit”). The goon, so likely the initial borrowing.

Alternative forms

• 聖霊

Noun

1. (Buddhism) the soul of someone who has died

   Synonyms: (“soul, spirit”, generally of a person) 霊魂 (reikon), (“soul” in general) 魂 (tamashii)

2. (Buddhism) short for 精霊祭り (Shōryō matsuri), a festival honoring one's ancestors, held mainly on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month
3. (Buddhism) short for 精霊蜻蛉 (Shōryō tonbo), general name given to various kinds of dragonfly that often appear around the time of the Shōryō Matsuri

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 聖(しょう)霊(りょう)院(いん) (Shōryōin): one of the pagodas at Hōryūji temple, built in 1109
• 精(しょう)霊(りょう)会(え), : a memorial service in honor of Prince Shōtoku, held on the 22nd day of the second lunar month; alternative for 精霊祭り (Shōryō Matsuri), a festival honoring one's ancestors, held mainly on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month
• 精(しょう)霊(りょう)送(おく)り, 聖(しょう)霊(りょう)送(おく)り (shōryō okuri): a ceremony to send off one's ancestors' spirits at the end of the Bon Festival, on or around the 16th day of the seventh lunar month, wherein one sets loose model boats made of wood or straw on streams and rivers
• 精(しょう)霊(りょう)棚(だな), 聖(しょう)霊(りょう)棚(だな) (Shōryōdana): a shelf whereon one sets mortuary tablets for one's ancestors for the Bon Festival
• : general name given to various kinds of dragonfly that often appear around the time of the Shōryō Matsuri, particularly the 薄羽黄蜻蛉 (usuba kitonbo, “Pantala flavescens or globe skimmer”)
• , 聖(しょう)霊(りょう)流(なが)し (Shōryōnagashi): the practice of setting loose model boats made of wood or straw on streams and rivers at the end of the Bon Festival
• 精(しょう)霊(りょう)飛蝗(ばった) (Shōryō batta): the Chinese grasshopper, Acrida cinerea
• 精(しょう)霊(りょう)火(び), 聖(しょう)霊(りょう)火(び) (shōryōbi): a ceremonial signal fire lit for the Bon Festival to help guide the spirits of one's ancestors
• 精(しょう)霊(りょう)舟(ぶね), 聖(しょう)霊(りょう)舟(ぶね) (Shōryōbune): a model boat made of wood or straw and set loose on streams and rivers at the end of the Bon Festival to send off the spirits of one's ancestors
• 精(しょう)霊(りょう)祭(まつ)り, 聖(しょう)霊(りょう)祭(まつ)り (Shōryō matsuri): alternative name for the Bon Festival, a festival honoring one's ancestors, held mainly on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month
• 精(しょう)霊(りょう)迎(むかえ), 聖(しょう)霊(りょう)迎(むかえ) (Shōryō mukae): a ceremony to welcome one's ancestors' spirits at the beginning of the Bon Festival, on the 13th day of the seventh lunar month
• 精(しょう)霊(りょう)飯(めし), 聖(しょう)霊(りょう)飯(めし) (Shōryō meshi): a ceremony performed as part of the Bon Festival, wherein children receive rice and sweets, make a temporary outdoor cooking stove, and cook and eat the rice and sweets

See also

• 魂(たましい) (tamashī): a soul
• 幽(ゆう)霊(れい) (yūrei): a ghost, a phantom, a spectre, an apparition, the soul of someone who cannot move on
• 怨(おん)霊(りょう) (onryō): a vengeful spirit, an unquiet ghost