赤紙

赤紙

Japanese

Kanji in this term
赤	紙
あか Grade: 1	かみ > がみ Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Etymology

Compound of 赤 (aka, “red”) +‎ 紙 (kami, “paper”).[1][2][3][4]

First attested in any idiomatic sense from 1797.[1]

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あかがみ [àkágámí] (Heiban – [0])[3][4][5]
• IPA^(key): [a̠ka̠ɡa̠mʲi]

Noun

赤(あか)紙(がみ) • (akagami) 

1. [from 1797] (historical) red paper used as a charm or ward against pox (usually smallpox, also the great pox or syphilis), and pasted on the frame of oil lamps or on 仁王 (Niō, “Nio”) statues
2. [from 1794] a slip of red paper attached to a letter or other document to indicate urgency
3. [from 1904] alternative name for 赤新聞 (aka shinbun, “scandal rag, gutter press, yellow journalism”)
4. [from 1943] (informal) draft card (from the color of the paper stock used for these)
5. [from ???] (informal) a label or sticker indicating that something is under seizure or garnishment
6. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see 赤,‎ 紙. ("red paper")

References

1. “赤紙”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
2. “赤紙”, in デジタル大辞泉 (Dejitaru Daijisen)‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
3. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
4. 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
5. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN