親知らず

Japanese

Kanji in this term
親	知
おや Grade: 2	し Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
親不知

Etymology

Compound of 親 (oya, “parent”) +‎ 知らず (shirazu, “not know”, classical negative form of the verb 知る (shiru, “to know”)).

First cited definitively to 1595, although the place name might be based on a poem from the early 1100s.

Additional information about the place name

The longer version of the place name is 親不知子不知 (Oyashirazu Koshirazu, literally “not knowing parents, not knowing children”), and might come from a poem written by the wife of the samurai 平頼盛 (Taira no Yorimori) in the late 12th century, in memory of her two-year-old son who had perished there. People in those days could only bypass the cliff by traversing a narrow strip of land at sea level, and in stormy weather, huge breakers could easily sweep people away unless they held on tightly to the rocks, an act said to make them forget about their parents and/or children. The young boy had been swept away by such a wave as he and his mother traversed the base of the cliff while they fled to 五百刈 (Gohyakkari) village (currently part of present-day Nagaoka) following the Battle of Dan-no-ura.

The alternative spelling 親不知 uses the 漢文 (kanbun) spelling 不知 for the shirazu portion.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) おやし​らず [òyáshíꜜràzù] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [o̞ja̠ɕiɾa̠zɨᵝ]

Noun

親(おや)知(し)らず • (oyashirazu) 

1. [from at least 1595] Short for 親不知歯 (oyashirazu-ba, literally “parents not-knowing tooth”). a wisdom tooth (from the likelihood that the wisdom teeth do not erupt until after no longer in daily contact with one's parents, due to moving or death)

   Synonyms: 知歯 (chishi), 知恵歯 (chie-ba)

2. [date uncertain, likely late 1100s] ignorance of one's parentage; such a person who does not know their parents
3. [from 1711] (historical) a specific kind of formal adoption during the Edo period, wherein the adoptee would have no knowledge of their birth parents; such an adoptee

   Synonym: 一生不通養子 (isshō futsū yōshi, literally “all-life no-contact adoptee”)

   Coordinate term: 養子 (yōshi, “foster child (who is still legally the child of their birth parents); adoptee (who is legally the child of the adopters)”)

4. [date uncertain, some time after 1100s] (regional, possibly archaic) a section of coast with dangerous surf (by analogy from having to pay all attention to surviving the conditions, and not having a moment to spare to think of one's parents)

Proper noun

親(おや)知(し)らず • (Oyashirazu) 

1. [roughly late 1100s] A cliff-lined coast in Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture, Japan

   Specifically, the name for a stretch of 断層海岸 (dansō kaigan, literally “(geologic) fault coast”), a specific kind of submergent coastline, in 青海町 (Ōmi-machi) in the southwest of Niigata Prefecture, where the 北陸道 (Hokurikudō) ran close to the sea and where surf conditions could become quite dangerous.

   Synonym: 親不知子不知 (Oyashirazu Koshirazu, literally “not knowing parents, not knowing children”)

2. [date uncertain, some time after late 1100s] A cliff-lined coast in Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan

   Specifically, the name for a stretch of road along a similar area of dangerous coast in 清水区 (Shimizu-ku, “Shimizu Ward”) in 静岡市 (Shizuoka-shi).

   Synonym: 親不知子不知 (Oyashirazu Koshirazu, literally “not knowing parents, not knowing children”)