節句

Japanese

Kanji in this term
節 句
せつ > せっ
Grade: 4 		く
Grade: 5
on'yomi
Alternative spelling
(kyūjitai)

Alternative forms

  • 節供

Etymology

Appears to be a Japanese coinage using Middle Chinese-derived components, possibly derived as a portmanteau or contraction from 節 (setsu, “season”) + 供御 (kugo, “offering of food or drink”). Compound of 節 (setsu, “season”) +‎ 供 (ku, “offering”), in reference to offerings of food and drink made by the nobility to shrines and temples for the seasonal celebrations.

The use of 句 to spell the ku portion is an example of ateji.

Pronunciation

Noun

節(せっ)句(く) • (sekku) 

  1. a seasonal festival day, such as 子供の日 (Kodomo no Hi, “Children's Day”) on 5 May or 七夕 (Tanabata) on 7 July
  2. (by extension from the way that most sekku are also holidays) rest and relaxation, a break (of a day or longer)

Synonyms

  • (seasonal festival day): 節日(せちにち) (sechinichi)
  • (break): 骨休(ほねやす)め (hone yasume)

Derived terms

  • 節句銭(せっくせん) (sekkusen): in the Edo period, a special payment made from renters to landlords on the day of sekku
  • 節句始(せっくはじ)め (sekku hajime): a child's first sekku after being born: 3 March for girls, 5 May for boys
  • 節句働(せっくばたら)き (sekkubataraki): working on a sekku holiday while everyone else is off work
  • 初節句(はつぜっく) (hatsuzekku): a child's first sekku after being born: 3 March for girls, 5 May for boys
  • 五節句(ごせっく) (go sekku, “go sekku”): the five major sekku during the year: 人日 (Jinjitsu) on 7 January, 上巳 (Jōshi) on 3 March, 端午 (Tango) on 5 May, 七夕 (Tanabata) on 7 July, and 重陽 (Chōyō) on 9 September
  • 煤取(すすと)り節供(せっく) (Susutori Sekku): a housecleaning (specifically soot cleaning) ceremony held on 13 December in preparation for New Years
  • 綱打(つなう)ち節供(せっく) (Tsunauchi Sekku): a ceremony in fishing villages for making the rope and line used for the year, held on 20 January
  • 穂垂(ほた)れ節供(せっく) (Hotare Sekku): a second New Years, formerly held on 14 or 15 January of the lunar calendar, marking the first full moon of the year

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
  2. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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