連れ子

連れ子

Japanese

Kanji in this term
連	子
つ Grade: 4	こ Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Alternative spellings
連れっ子 連子

Kanji in this term
連	子
つ Grade: 4	ご Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Etymology

Compound of 連れ (tsure, “coming or going with, accompanying”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 連れる (tsureru, “to come or go with, to accompany”)) +‎ 子 (ko, “child”).[1][2][3][4]

Also found with the geminate reading tsurekko. This latter form is attested from at least 1900.[1]

Also found with the voiced reading tsurego.[5] This appears to be less common, and is not listed in various references.[1][2][3][4][6]

Pronunciation

Common:

• (Tokyo) つれこ [tsùrékó] (Heiban – [0])[3][4][6]
• IPA^(key): [t͡sɨᵝɾe̞ko̞]

Geminate:

• (Tokyo) つれっこ [tsùrékkó] (Heiban – [0])[3][6]
• IPA^(key): [t͡sɨᵝɾe̞k̚ko̞]

Uncommon voiced:

• IPA^(key): [t͡sɨᵝɾe̞ɡo̞]

Noun

連(つ)れ子(こ) or 連(つ)れ子(っこ) or 連(つ)れ子(ご) • (tsureko or tsurekko or tsurego) 

1. stepchild, child from previous marriage

Synonyms

• 継子(ままこ) (mamako, refers more generally to any child of a parent who is not a blood relation: could also be an adoptee or foster child)

Related terms

• 継母(ままはは) (mamahaha)
• 継父(ままちち) (mamachichi)

References

1. 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
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. “連れ子”, in 日本大百科全書：ニッポニカ (Nippon Dai Hyakka Zensho: Nipponica, “Encyclopedia Nipponica”)‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 1984
6. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN