変わり身

Japanese

Kanji in this term
変	身
か Grade: 4	み Grade: 3

Alternative spellings
變わり身 (kyūjitai) 変り身替身 (rare)

Etymology

Compound of 変わり (kawari, “change, changing”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 変わる (kawaru, “to change”, intransitive)) +‎ 身 (mi, “body”).[1][2][3][4]

First cited in 1957.[1]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) かわりみ [kàwárímí] (Heiban – [0])[3][4][5]
IPA^(key): [ka̠ɰᵝa̠ɾʲimʲi]

Noun

変(か)わり身(み) • (kawarimi) ^{←かはりみ (kafarimi)^?}

[date uncertain] (sumo, martial arts) a quick shift of position
[from 1957] flexibility in adapting one's words and deeds to changing circumstances

References

“替身”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
“変り身”, in デジタル大辞泉 (Dejitaru Daijisen)‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

[KDJ2-1] “替身”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN

[DDJS-2] “変り身”, in デジタル大辞泉 (Dejitaru Daijisen)‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months

[DJR-3] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[SMK5-4] 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-5] 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN