道中

道中

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
道	中
どう Grade: 2	ちゅう Grade: 1
goon

Likely a Japanese coinage based on Middle Chinese-derived roots, as a compound of 道 (dō, “road, street; way”) +‎ 中 (chū, “middle; in; partway along”). Appears in texts from at least the Muromachi period (1500s) in the jargon of 浄瑠璃 (jōruri, “a style of storytelling with musical accompaniment”).[1]

Pronunciation

• On’yomi: Goon
• (Tokyo) ど​ーちゅう [dóꜜòchùù] (Atamadaka – [1])[2]
• IPA^(key): [do̞ːt͡ɕɨᵝː]

Noun

道(どう)中(ちゅう) • (dōchū) ^{←だうちゆう (dautyū)?}

1. traveling, journeying
2. the middle of a trip, partway through a journey
3. short for 花魁道中 (oiran dōchū, “a procession of courtesans”)
4. a style of wearing a 手拭い (tenugui, “handkerchief, bandanna”) on one's head

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
道	中
みち Grade: 2	なか Grade: 1
kun’yomi

From Old Japanese. Compound of 道 (michi, “road, street”) +‎ 中 (naka, “middle; in; partway along”).[1][2][3] Appears in the Kojiki of 712 CE.[1]

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
• (Tokyo) みちなか [mìchínáká] (Heiban – [0])[2]
• IPA^(key): [mʲit͡ɕina̠ka̠]

Noun

道(みち)中(なか) • (michinaka) 

1. the middle of the road or street
2. on a road or street
3. partway along or down a road or street on the way to a destination

References

1. 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
3. 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN