膝皿

Japanese

Kanji in this term
膝	皿
ひざ Grade: S	さら Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Kanji in this term
膝	皿
ひざ Grade: S	さら > ざら Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Etymology

Compound of 膝 (hiza, “knee”) +‎ 皿 (sara, “plate”), from the shape of the bone.[1]

Also encountered with the reading hizazara. The sara changes to zara as an instance of rendaku (連濁). [2][3][4]

Pronunciation

Kun’yomi
- (Tokyo) ひざさら [hìzásárá] (Heiban – [0])[2][4]
- IPA^(key): [çiza̠sa̠ɾa̠]

Kun’yomi
- (Tokyo) ひざざら [hìzázárá] (Heiban – [0])[2][4]
- IPA^(key): [çiza̠za̠ɾa̠]

Noun

膝皿 (hiragana ひざさら, rōmaji hiza sara)

(anatomy) The kneecap, the patella.

Usage notes

Both 膝の皿 (hiza no sara) and 膝皿 (hiza sara) are in use in modern Japanese, with 膝の皿 (hiza no sara) used more frequently. The term 膝蓋骨 (shitsugaikotsu) is somewhat more technical, a bit like English patella compared to kneecap.

Synonyms

膝蓋骨 (しつがいこつ) (shitsugaikotsu)
膝 (ひざ)の皿 (さら) (hizanosara)
膝頭 (ひざがしら) (hizagashira)

References

1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[KDJ-1] 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan

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

[DJS-3] 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

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