沼気

沼気

See also: 沼氣

Japanese

Kanji in this term
沼	気
しょう Grade: S	き Grade: 1
on’yomi

Etymology

/seuki/ → /ɕeuki/ → /ɕʲoːki/

From Middle Chinese compound 沼氣 (tsyew^X khjɨj^H, literally “pool, pond, swamp + vapors, gas”). Compare modern Cantonese reading ziu² hei³.

Pronunciation

• On’yomi: Kan’on
  • (Tokyo) しょ​ーき [shóꜜòkì] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [ɕo̞ːkʲi]

Noun

沼気 (hiragana しょうき, rōmaji shōki, historical hiragana せうき)

1. marsh gas, swamp gas, methane (naturally occurring)

Usage notes

Although one translation of this term is methane, this refers more specifically to the methane produced from organic matter rotting in a body of water. One would not generally use this term to refer to methane or natural gas as used for cooking or heating.

Related terms

• (methane in general): メタン (metan)
• (natural gas): 天 (てん)然 (ねん)ガス (tennen gasu)

References

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