流れ星

流れ星

Japanese

Kanji in this term
流	星
なが Grade: 3	ほし > ぼし Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
流星

Etymology

Compound of 流れ (nagare, “flowing, streaming”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 流れる (nagareru, “to flow, to stream”)) +‎ 星 (hoshi, “star”). The hoshi changes to boshi as an instance of rendaku (連濁). Derived as the native Japanese reading of Middle Chinese-derived 流星 (ryūsei).[1]

First attested from 1137.[2]

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ながれ​ぼし [nàgáréꜜbòshì] (Nakadaka – [3])[1][3][4]
• IPA^(key): [na̠ɡa̠ɾe̞bo̞ɕi]

Noun

流(なが)れ星(ぼし) • (nagareboshi) 

1. [from 1137] (astronomy) synonym of 流星 (ryūsei, “meteor, shooting star, falling star”)
   • 1993 November 25 [May 20 1989], Adachi, Mitsuru, “第(だい)27(にじゅうなな)話(わ)　直(なお)人(と)の想(おも)い [Chapter 27: What Naoto Wants]”, in スロー(SLOW)ステップ(STEP) [Slow Step], volume 4 (fiction), 11th edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 74:

     きれいな星(ほし)空(ぞら)だね

     Kirei na hoshizora da ne

     Look at that beautiful starry sky

     そうね

     Sō ne

     It is, isn’t it?

     あ　流(なが)れ星(ぼし)

     A Nagareboshi

     Ah, a shooting star

     何(なに)か　願(ねが)い事(ごと)した？

     Nani ka Negaigoto shita?

     What’d you wish for?

     ——うん　このシーンが１(ひと)コマでも長(なが)く続(つづ)きますようにって

     ——Un Kono shīn ga hito-koma demo nagaku tsuzukimasu yō nitte

     —Umm, I wished I could drag this scene forever

     ……作(さく)者(しゃ)思(おも)いだね

     ……Sakusha omoi da ne

     …Typical author’s wish, huh?

   • 1993 November 25 [May 20 1989], Adachi, Mitsuru, “第(だい)27(にじゅうなな)話(わ)　直(なお)人(と)の想(おも)い [Chapter 27: Mortals’ Desires]”, in スロー(SLOW)ステップ(STEP) [Slow Step], volume 4 (fiction), 11th edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, pages 93–94:

     きれいな星(ほし)空(ぞら)だね

     Kirei na hoshizora da ne

     Look at that beautiful starry sky

     ……また始(はじ)まったな

     ……Mata hajimatta na

     …It’s happened again

     あ　流(なが)れ星(ぼし)

     A Nagareboshi

     Ah, a shooting star

     何(なに)か　願(ねが)い事(ごと)した？

     Nani ka Negaigoto shita?

     What’d you wish for?

     どうぞ編(へん)集(しゅう)長(ちょう)が怒(おこ)りませんようにって……

     Dōzo henshūchō ga okorimasen yō nitte……

     I wished the editor-in-chief wouldn’t be mad at me…

     —大(だい)丈(じょう)夫(ぶ)　やさしい人(ひと)だもん

     —Daijōbu yasashii hito da mon

     —Don’t worry, he’s very easy-going

     いいかげんにしろ！

     Iikagen ni shiro!

     You irresponsible bastard!

See also

• 火(か)球(きゅう) (kakyū): fireball, bolide, shooting star

References

1. 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth 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
3. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
4. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN