人質

See also: 人质

Chinese

man; person; people
 
hostage; substance; nature
hostage; substance; nature; quality
trad. (人質) 人 質
simp. (人质) 人 质

Pronunciation


Noun

人質

  1. hostage
    營救人質/营救人质  ―  yíngjiù rénzhì  ―  to rescue hostages

Japanese

Kanji in this term
人 質
ひと
Grade: 1
しち > じち
Grade: 5
yutōyomi

Etymology

Compound of 人 (hito, “person”) +‎ 質 (shichi, “pawn, hock”).[1] The shichi changes to jichi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

The original sense was “indentureship”, from the sense of a person being as if in pawn until a debt is paid. The “hostage” sense then arose by extension, from the person being in pawn until a ransom is paid or some other condition is met.

Pronunciation

Noun

人(ひと)質(じち) • (hitojichi) 

  1. a hostage
    人(ひと)質(じち)事(じ)件(けん)
    hitojichi jiken
    a hostage situation
  2. (archaic, original sense) indentureship, the state of being in servitude to another as collateral on or payment of a debt

References

  1. 1988, 国語大辞典(新装版) (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
  2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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