狐火

狐火

Japanese

Kanji in this term
狐	火
きつね Hyōgaiji	ひ > び Grade: 1
kun’yomi

狐火 (kitsunebi): a print depicting the commonly held folk belief that will o' the wisps or foxfire was caused by a fox.

Etymology

Compound of 狐 (kitsune, “fox”) +‎ 火 (hi, “fire”).[1][2]The hi changes to bi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

First cited to a text from 1488.[1]

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) きつね​び [kìtsúnéꜜbì] (Nakadaka – [3])[2]
• IPA^(key): [kʲit͡sɨᵝne̞bʲi]

Noun

狐(きつね)火(び) • (kitsunebi) 

1. a mysterious pale fire often seen in the fields and mountains at night from winter to early spring: will o' the wisp, foxfire

   Synonyms: 燐火 (rinka), 鬼火 (onibi), 狐の提灯 (kitsune no chōchin)

   • 1488, Sanjōnishi Sanetaka (三条西実隆), 実隆公記 [Sanetakakōki]:

     夜(ヤ)前(ゼン)於(オイテ)_㆓野(ノ)路(ヂニ)_㆒有(アリ)_㆓狐(キツネ)火(ビ)_㆒

     yazen noji ni oite kitsunebi ari

     will o' the wisps appeared in the field path last night

   • 1784, Yosa Buson, 蕪村句集 [Buson kushū]:

     狐(きつね)火(び)や髑(どく)髏(ろ)に雨(あめ)のたまる夜(よ)に

     kitsunebi ya dokuro ni ame no tamaru yo ni

     There's foxfire on nights when the rain collects in the skull.

2. kabuki props designed to imitate will o' the wisps

   Synonyms: 焼酎火 (shōchūbi), 樟脳火 (shōnōbi)

3. Synonym of 野鶏頭 (nogeitō /ノゲイトウ/, “plumed or silver cockscomb (Celosia argentea)”)
4. Synonym of 埃茸 (hokoritake /ホコリタケ/, “puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum)”)

See also

• 狐火 on the Japanese Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^ja
• kitsunebi on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• will-o'-the-wisp on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

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