くつ

Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spellings
靴 沓 (uncommon) 履 (uncommon) 鞋 (uncommon) 鞾 (uncommon)

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くつ

Wikipedia ^ja

⟨kutu⟩: */kutu/ → /kut͡su/

From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū poetry compilation, completed circa 759.^[1]

Ultimate derivation unclear. Some Japanese sources suggest a borrowing from or cognate with Korean 구두 (gudu, “shoes”),^[2] but then some Korean sources suggest that the Korean term was borrowed from Japanese 靴 (kutsu, “shoes”). (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) くつ [kùtsúꜜ] (Odaka – [2])^[3][4][5]
• IPA^(key): [kɯ̟̊t͡sɨ]

Noun

くつ • (kutsu) 

1. 靴: footwear, footgear: a shoe, (a pair of) shoes
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 14, poem 3399:
     , text here:

     信濃道者 伊麻能波里美知 可里婆祢尓 安思布麻之<奈牟> 久都波氣和我世

     信(しな)濃(ぬ)道(ぢ)は　今(いま)の墾(は)り道(みち)　刈(か)りばねに　足(あし)踏(ふ)ましなむ　沓(くつ)はけ我(わ)が背(せ)

     shinanuji wa ima no harimichi karibane ni ashi fumashinamu kutsu hake wagase

     the Shinano road has just been opened; wear shoes, my brother / my dear, so you do not step on the brush stubble [in your bare feet]

Synonyms

• シューズ (shūzu)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 靴(くつ)下(した) (kutsushita): sock
• 靴(くつ)擦(ず)れ (kutsuzure): literally “shoe rubbing”: a blister on one's foot due to ill-fitting shoes
• 長(なが)靴(ぐつ) (nagagutsu): boot

Etymology 2

Alternative spelling
口

/kutu/ → /kut͡su/

From Old Japanese. Appears in compound terms listed in the Wamyō Ruijushō of 938 CE.

The ancient combining form of modern 口(くち) (kuchi).^[1] Likely the original form.

No longer productive in modern Japanese. Only found in older compounds.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kɯ̟t͡sɨ]

• The pitch accent is derived from the entire compound word.

Noun

くつ • (kutsu) 

1. 口: prefixal bound form of くち (kuchi, “mouth”)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 口(くつ)号(うた) (kutsūta): an improvised poem or song
• 口(くつ)籠(こ) (kutsuko): a muzzle
• 鼾(くつち) (kutsuchi), 癲(くつち) (kutsuchi), 癲癇(くつち) (kutsuchi): snoring; epilepsy
• 轡(くつばみ) (kutsubami), 銜(くつばみ) (kutsubami), 勒(くつばみ) (kutsubami): a bit(as for a horse's mouth)
• 口(くつ)巻(まき) (kutsumaki): the winding holding an arrowhead to the shaft of an arrow
• 轡(くつわ) (kutsuwa), 馬銜(くつわ) (kutsuwa): a bit (as for a horse's mouth)

Etymology 3

Alternative spelling
朽つ

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.^[6]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kɯ̟t͡sɨ]

Verb

くつ • (kutsu) ^†nidan

1. 朽つ: Classical Japanese form of くちる (kuchiru)

Conjugation

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	くち		kuti
Continuative (連用形)	くち		kuti
Terminal (終止形)	くつ		kutu
Attributive (連体形)	くつる		kuturu
Realis (已然形)	くつれ		kuture
Imperative (命令形)	くちよ		kutiyo
Key constructions
Negative	くちず		kutizu
Contrasting conjunction	くつれど		kuturedo
Causal conjunction	くつれば		kutureba
Conditional conjunction	くちば		kutiba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	くちき		kutiki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	くちけり		kutikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	くちつ		kutitu
Perfect tense (natural event)	くちぬ		kutinu
Perfect-continuative tense	くちたり		kutitari
Volitional	くちむ		kutimu

Classical conjugation of "くつ" (タ行上二段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Etymology 4

For pronunciation and definitions of くつ – see the following entries: 倔, 屈

(The following entries are uncreated: 倔, 屈.)

References

1. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
2. “くつ”, in 語源由来辞典 (Gogen Yurai Jiten, “Etymology Derivation Dictionary”) (in Japanese), 2003–2024.
3. NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
4. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
5. Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
6. “朽”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000