滑舌

Japanese
Kanji in this term
滑 舌
かつ
Grade: S		 ぜつ
Grade: 6
on’yomi

Alternative forms
  • 活舌

Etymology

*/kwatu zetu/ → /kwat͡su zet͡su/ → /kat͡su zet͡su/

Possibly from Middle Chinese compound 滑舌 (hwɛt + zyet, literally “slippery, smooth + tongue”).

Alternatively, may have been coined in Japan of Middle Chinese-derived elements, as a compound of 滑 (katsu, “smooth”) +‎ 舌 (zetsu, “tongue”).

Pronunciation

Noun

滑(かつ)舌(ぜつ) • (katsuzetsu) ←くわつぜつ (kwatuzetu)?

  1. enunciation
    主人公(しゅじんこう)の俳優(はいゆう)は滑舌(かつぜつ)が悪(わる)くて、台詞(せりふ)があまり聞(き)き取(と)れなかったね。
    Shujinkō no haiyū wa katsuzetsu ga warukute, serifu ga amari kikitorenakatta ne.
    The actor playing the lead character had bad enunciation, and I couldn't quite hear his lines.

Usage notes

Generally used to describe the speech of a stage actor or television presenter.[2]

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