うす

Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spellings
臼 碓

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.^[1] From Proto-Japonic *osu. Compare Yamagata Japanese おす (osu).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) うす [úꜜsù] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟sɨ]

Noun

うす • (usu) ^{←うす (usu)?}

1. 臼, 碓: mortar

Coordinate terms

• 杵(きね) (kine, “pestle”)

Etymology 2

Alternative spelling
薄

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟sɨ]

Prefix

うす • (usu-) ^{←うす (usu-)?}

1. 薄: light (in degree)

Related terms

• 薄(うす)い (usui)

References

1. “臼・碓”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN