銀杏

See also: 银杏

Chinese

silver; money apricot
trad. (銀杏) 銀 杏
simp. (银杏) 银 杏

Pronunciation


Noun

銀杏

  1. (~樹) ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba, tree)
  2. ginkgo nut

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (銀杏):
  • → Japanese: 銀杏(ぎんなん) (ginnan)
  • → Korean: 은행(銀杏) (eunhaeng)

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
銀 杏
い
Grade: 3
ちょう
Jinmeiyō
irregular

/it͡ɕijau/ → /it͡ɕjɔː/ → /it͡ɕoː/

Borrowing from Chinese 鴨腳/鸭脚 (yājiǎo, “ginkgo”) around the Muromachi period.

There is an Edo-period folk etymology that the original derivation was 一葉 (ichiyō, literally “a single leaf”), but from the historical kana usage, 一葉 would be read as いちえふ (ichi-efu) → いてふ (itefu), instead of いちやう (i-chau).

The kanji spelling is jukujikun (熟字訓).

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • (Irregular reading)
    • (Tokyo) いちょー [ìchóó] (Heiban – [0])[1]
    • IPA(key): [it͡ɕo̞ː]

Noun

銀(い)杏(ちょう) • (ichō) ←いちやう (ityau)?

  1. the ginkgo tree, Ginkgo biloba
  2. an arrowhead in the shape of a ginkgo leaf
  3. Short for 銀杏頭 (ichō-gashira): an Edo-period hairstyle, with the topknot in the shape of a ginkgo leaf, today usually associated with higher-ranked sumo wrestlers
  4. a 家紋 (kamon, “family crest”) with a motif of various styles of gingko leaves
Usage notes
  • As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as イチョウ.
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
銀 杏
ぎん
Grade: 3
あん > なん
Jinmeiyō
kan’on tōon

Attested around the mid-12th century.

Borrowing from Middle Chinese 銀杏 (MC ŋˠiɪn ɦˠæŋX), utilizing the 唐音 (tō'on, “Tang sound”) of 杏 (an), as in 杏子 (anzu, “apricot”).

The an changes to nan as an instance of renjō (連声).

Pronunciation

Noun

銀(ぎん)杏(なん) • (ginnan) 

  1. Ginkgo biloba
    1. the ginkgo tree
    2. a ginkgo nut or seed
Derived terms
  • 銀杏(ギンナン)草(ソウ) (ginnansō)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
銀 杏
ぎん
Grade: 3
きょう
Jinmeiyō
kan’on kan’yōon

Borrowing from Middle Chinese 銀杏 (MC ŋˠiɪn ɦˠæŋX), utilizing the 慣用音 (kan'yō-on, “Customary sound”) of 杏 (kyō), as in 杏仁 (kyōnin, “apricot seed”).

Pronunciation

Noun

銀(ぎん)杏(きょう) • (ginkyō) 

  1. Ginkgo biloba
Descendants

References

  1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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