醜女

醜女

See also: 丑女

Chinese

		shameful; ugly; disgraceful	female; woman; daughter
trad. (醜女)		醜	女
simp. (丑女)		丑	女

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chǒunǚ

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄡˇ ㄋㄩˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cau² neoi⁵, cau² neoi^5-2

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: chǒunǚ [Phonetic: chóunǚ]
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄡˇ ㄋㄩˇ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: choouneu
    • IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ny²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: cau² neoi⁵, cau² neoi^5-2
    • Yale: cháu néuih, cháu néui
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsau² noey⁵, tsau² noey^5-2
    • Guangdong Romanization: ceo² nêu⁵, ceo² nêu²
    • IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɐu̯³⁵ nɵy̯¹³/, /t͡sʰɐu̯³⁵ nɵy̯¹³⁻³⁵/

Noun

醜女

1. ugly woman

Synonyms

• 嫫母 (mómǔ)
• (Cantonese) 豬扒／猪扒 (zhūpá)

Derived terms

十七十八無醜女／十七十八无丑女

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Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
醜	女
ぶ Grade: S	おんな Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Compound of 醜 (bu, “ugly”) +‎ 女 (onna, “woman”).[1][2]

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) ぶお​んな [bùóꜜǹnà] (Nakadaka – [2])[2]
  • IPA^(key): [bɯ̟ᵝõ̞nːa̠]

Noun

醜女 (hiragana ぶおんな, rōmaji buonna, historical hiragana ぶをんな)

1. an ugly woman

Usage notes

For the generic “ugly woman” sense, the buonna reading may be more common. The shikome reading carries overtones of supernatural terror, and may be perceived as somewhat old-fashioned. The shūjo reading is the least common, and may be the most stilted; it is also the most negative of the three readings.

Synonyms

• 醜女 (しこめ) (shikome) (see below)
• 醜 (しゅう)女 (じょ) (shūjo) (see below)
• 醜 (しゅう)婦 (ふ) (shūfu)
• ぶす (busu)
• おかちめんこ (okachimenko)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
醜	女
しこ Grade: S	め Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Compound of 醜 (shiko, “ugly; ferocious”) +‎ 女 (me, “woman”).[1][2]

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) しこめ [shìkómé] (Heiban – [0])[2]
  • IPA^(key): [ɕiko̞me̞]

Noun

醜女 (hiragana しこめ, rōmaji shikome)

1. an ugly demon-woman or hag from the underworld
   • 931–938, Wamyō Ruijushō, book 1, page 44-45:

     醜女 日本紀私紀云、醜女、志古女、欽明或説黄泉之鬼也、今世人爲恐小兒稱許々女者此語之訛也。

2. an ugly woman

Usage notes

For the generic “ugly woman” sense, the buonna reading may be more common. The shikome reading carries overtones of supernatural terror, and may be perceived as somewhat old-fashioned. The shūjo reading is the least common, and may be the most stilted; it is also the most negative of the three readings.

Synonyms

(ugly woman):

• 醜女 (ぶおんな) (buonna) (see above)
• 醜 (しゅう)女 (じょ) (shūjo) (see below)
• 醜 (しゅう)婦 (ふ) (shūfu)
• ぶす (busu)
• おかちめんこ (okachimenko)

See also

• 美 (び)女 (じょ) (bijo): beautiful woman
• 醜男 (ぶおとこ) (buotoko): ugly man

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
醜	女
しゅう Grade: S	じょ Grade: 1
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese compound 醜女 (tsyhuw^X nrjo^X, literally “ugly + woman”). Compare modern Mandarin reading chǒu nǚ.

Pronunciation

• On’yomi: Kan’on
  • (Tokyo) しゅ​うじょ [shúꜜùjò] (Atamadaka – [1])[2]
  • IPA^(key): [ɕɨᵝːʑo̞]

Noun

醜女 (hiragana しゅうじょ, rōmaji shūjo, historical hiragana しうぢよ)

1. an ugly woman

Usage notes

For the generic “ugly woman” sense, the buonna reading may be more common. The shikome reading carries overtones of supernatural terror, and may be perceived as somewhat old-fashioned. The shūjo reading is the least common, and may be the most stilted; it is also the most negative of the three readings.

Synonyms

• 醜女 (しこめ) (shikome) (see above)
• 醜 (しゅう)女 (じょ) (shūjo) (see above)
• 醜 (しゅう)婦 (ふ) (shūfu)
• ぶす (busu)
• おかちめんこ (okachimenko)

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

• Minamoto, Shitagō; Kyōto Daigaku Bungakubu Kokugogaku Kokubungaku Kenkyūshitu (931–938) Shohon Shūsei Wamyō Ruijushō: Honbunhen (in Japanese), Kyōto: Rinsen, published 1968, →ISBN.