えびすめ

Japanese

Etymology

The initial e- is cognate with the e- in 蝦夷 (Ezo) referring to northeastern Japan, while the final -me is found in various seaweed-related terms such as 若布 (wakame). Essentially equivalent to "Ezo-region seaweed".^[1]

First cited to the 本草和名 (Honzō Wamyō, “Medicinal Plant Japanese Names”) of 918.^[1]

Noun

えびすめ • (ebisume) 

1. [from 918] (archaic) old name for 昆布 (kombu)

   Synonyms: (modern term) 昆布 (konbu), (also archaic) 広布 (hirome)

   • c. 918, Honzō Wamyō:

     昆布　乾苔_性熱 柔苔_性冷　昆布　一名綸布　出兼名苑　和名比呂女 一名衣比須女^[2]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

References

1. “えびすめ”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
2. Fukane no Sukehito (c. 901–923) Maruyama Yumiko, Wu Qian, editors, Honzō Wamyō: Eiin, Honkoku to Kenkyū) (in Japanese), Kyūko Shoin, published 2021, →ISBN.

Further reading

• Entry at Gogen Yurai Jiten (in Japanese)