相棒

Japanese

Kanji in this term
相	棒
あい Grade: 3	ぼう Grade: 6
kun’yomi	goon

Etymology

Compound of 相(あい) (ai, “fellow”) + 棒(ぼう) (bō, “pole”).

Its original meaning referred to the second person carrying a 駕籠(かご) (kago), a kind of form of transportation used by peasantry in feudal Japan involving a compartment suspended by a long pole inside which people would be carried.[1]

First attested in 1773.[1]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) あいぼー [àíbóó] (Heiban – [0])[2][3]
(Tokyo) あいぼー [àíbóꜜò] (Nakadaka – [3])[2][3]
IPA^(key): [a̠ibo̞ː]

Noun

相(あい)棒(ぼう) • (aibō) ^{←あひばう (afibau)^?}

[early 1900s] partner, sidekick (someone who is associated with another in a common activity or interest)

References

“相棒”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third 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] “相棒”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN

[DJR-2] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-3] 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN