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松竹梅 (kyūjitai) |
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Etymology
Ultimately from Middle Chinese 松竹梅 (MC zjowng trjuwk mwoj). First cited to a text from 1359.[1]
Noun
松竹梅 • (shōchikubai)
- the pine, bamboo, and plum as a set; the three auspicious symbols of the Japanese New Year
- the pine represents strength, the bamboo represents longevity, and the plum represents beauty and optimism
- a three-rank system based on grades or classes of certain items
See also
- 歳寒三友 (Saikan San'yū, “Three Friends of Winter”): 松 (shō, “pine”), 竹 (chiku, “bamboo”), 梅 (bai, “plum”)
- 松竹梅 (shōchikubai) ranking system: 松 (matsu, “pine”, the top rank), 竹 (take, “bamboo”, the middle rank), 梅 (ume, “plum”, the lowest rank)
References
Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN, text here