卯の花

Japanese

Kanji in this term
卯 花
う
Jinmeiyō 		はな
Grade: 1
kun'yomi
Alternative spelling
卯花

Etymology

Possibly shortened from 空(うつ)木(ぎ) (utsugi, “Deutzia crenata”), with 花(はな) (hana, “flower”). Alternately, the initial syllable may come from either 卯(う)月(づき) (uzuki), second month of the lunar calendar when the flower typically blooms, or from 兎(うさぎ) (usagi, “rabbit”) for resemblance to a white rabbit.[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ɯ̟no̞ha̠na̠]

Noun

卯(う)の花(はな) or 卯(ウ)の花(ハナ) • (unohana) 

  1. synonym of 空木 (utsugi, “Deutzia crenata, a flowering plant”)
    1. (specifically) the flower of the plant, considered a sign of early summer
  2. (clothing, fashion) short for 卯の花襲 (unohanagasane), a traditional color combination for kimono with a white outer layer with a blue inner layer
  3. okara, the pulp left from producing tofu or soy milk
  4. (archaic, nyōbō kotoba) ayu, sweetfish, Plecoglossus altivelis, a freshwater fish
  5. synonym of 谷空木 (tani-utsugi), Weigela hortensis, a flowering plant
  6. (uncommon, criminal slang) snow

See also

References

  1. ^ “う‐の‐はな 【卯花】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎[1] (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
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