言霊
Japanese
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 言 | 霊 |
| こと Grade: 2 | たま > だま Grade: S |
| kun’yomi | |
Pronunciation
- Kun’yomi
- (Tokyo) ことだま [kòtódámá] (Heiban – [0])[1]
- IPA(key): [ko̞to̞da̠ma̠]
Noun
言霊 (shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 言靈, hiragana ことだま, rōmaji kotodama)
- The mystical force inherent in language. Taken from Shinto beliefs, the Japanese believe that speech has magical effects on the world as words conjure up various spirits, or kami (神 gods and goddesses), that animate the living earth.
Derived terms
- 言霊学 (ことたまがく, kototamagaku)
References
- Hirayama, Tetsuo (1960) 全国アクセント辞典 (Nationwide Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: 東京堂,.