黄泉

See also: 黃泉

Chinese

For pronunciation and definitions of 黄泉 – see 黃泉 (“yellow spring; underground spring; underworld; the land of the dead”). (This term is the simplified form of 黃泉).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

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Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
黄	泉
よも
Grade: 2	Grade: 6
jukujikun

Alternative spelling
黃泉 (kyūjitai)

⟨yo₂mo₂⟩ → */jəmə/ → ⟨yo₂mo⟩ → */jəmo/ → /jomo/

From Old Japanese, first attested in the Kojiki, the oldest extant historical record of ancient Japan, compiled in 712 CE. Appears to be the older combining form of yomi (see below).

The ablaut or apophonic form of cognate 山 (yama, “mountain”). Mountains were often used as a place to bury the dead and were strongly associated with the afterlife. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Orthographic borrowing from Chinese 黃泉／黄泉 (huángquán, literally “yellow springs”), incorporating the underworld from Chinese mythology.

Noun

1. (Shinto, archaic) the land of the dead; the afterworld, underworld

Usage notes

• Takes the Old Japanese possessive particle つ (tsu), as in the phrase 黄泉つ (yomo tsu).

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 黄泉(よも)つ (yomo tsu)
• 黄泉(よも)つ軍(いくさ) (yomo tsu ikusa, “army of the dead”)
• 黄泉(よも)つ神(かみ) (yomo tsu kami, “god of the dead”)
• 黄泉(よもつ)国(くに), 黄泉(よも)つ国(くに) (yomo tsu kuni, “land of the dead”)
• 黄泉(よもつ)醜(しこ)女(め), 黄泉(よも)つ醜(しこ)女(め) (yomo tsu shikome, “demoness inhabitant of the land of the dead”)
• 黄泉(よも)つ平坂(ひらさか) (yomo tsu hirasaka, “hills of the dead, lying between this world and the afterlife”)
• 黄泉(よもつ)竈(へ)食(ぐい), 黄泉(よも)つ竈食(へぐ)い (yomo tsu hegui, “eating from the kitchen of the dead → dying, death”)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
黄	泉
よみ
Grade: 2	Grade: 6
jukujikun

Alternative spelling
黃泉 (kyūjitai)

⟨yo₂mi₂⟩ → */jəmwi/ → /jomi/

From Old Japanese, first attested in the Kojiki (712 CE) alongside its combining form yomo (see above).

Either the ablaut or apophonic form of yomo, or a shift from yomo with the fusion of ancient nominal particle い (i). Compare the development of 神 (kamu, “god, spirit”, bound form occurring in compounds) + い (i) → 神 (kami, “god, spirit”, standalone noun form), or 木 (ko, “tree”, bound form occurring in compounds) + い (i) → 木 (ki, “tree”, standalone noun form).

Orthographic borrowing from Chinese 黃泉／黄泉 (huángquán, literally “yellow springs”), incorporating the underworld from Chinese mythology.

Noun

1. (Shinto) the land of the dead; the afterworld, underworld

   Synonyms: 泉下 (senka), 冥土 (meido), 冥府 (meifu), 黄泉路 (yomiji), 黄泉国 (yomo tsu kuni, yomi no kuni)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 蘇(よみがえ)る, 甦(よみがえ)る (yomigaeru, “to return from the land of the dead → to be reborn”)
• 黄泉(よみ)の国(くに) (yomi-no-kuni, “land of the dead”)
• 黄泉(よみ)の旅(たび)人(びと) (yomi no tabibito, “traveler to the land of the dead → someone who has died”)
• 黄泉(よみ)戸(ど), 黄泉(よみ)門(ど) (yomi-do, “entrance to the land of the dead”)
• 黄泉(よみじ), 黄泉(よみ)路(じ) (yomiji, “road to the land of the dead”)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
黄	泉
よみじ
Grade: 2	Grade: 6
jukujikun

Alternative spellings
黃泉 (kyūjitai) 黄泉路

Compound of 黄泉 (yomi, “land of the dead, underworld”, see above) + 路 (chi, “road”). The chi changes to ji as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

The kanji spelling reflects the extension of the sense from "the road to the underworld" to '"the underworld" itself.

Noun

1. Alternative spelling of 黄泉路 (yomiji): the road to the land of the dead; by extension, the underworld itself

Usage notes

The 黄泉 spelling may be more common in certain contexts.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 黄泉(よみじ)帰(がえ)り (yomiji-gaeri, “return from the underworld; resurrection, revival”)
• 黄泉(ヨミジ)鳥(ドリ) (yomiji-dori): alternative name for 虎鶫 (toratsugumi): scaly thrush ()

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
黄	泉
こう Grade: 2	せん Grade: 6
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
黃泉 (kyūjitai)

/kwau sen/ → /kwɔːseɴ/ → /kɔːseɴ/ → /koːseɴ/

From Chinese 黃泉／黄泉 (huángquán, literally “yellow springs”), date of borrowing unknown.

Noun

1. an underground spring
2. the underworld, the land of the dead

   Synonyms: 冥土 (meido), 黄泉路 (yomiji)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 黄(こう)泉(せん)の客(きゃく) (kōsen no kyaku, “visitor to the land of the dead → someone who has died”)
• 黄(こう)泉(せん)の旅(たび)人(びと) (kōsen no tabibito, “traveler to the land of the dead → someone who has died”)

Proverbs

• 黄(こう)泉(せん)の路(ろ)上(じょう)老(ろう)少(しょう)無(な)し (kōsen no rojō rōshō nashi, “on the road to the land of the dead, there is no old or young → death comes to all, regardless of age”)

See also

• 地(じ)獄(ごく) (jigoku), 奈(な)落(らく) (naraku): similar concepts in Buddhism
• 高(たか)天(まの)原(はら) (takama no hara)
• 葦(あし)原(はら)の中(なか)つ国(くに) (ashihara no nakatsukuni)