Etymology 1
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From Old Japanese,[1] in turn from Middle Chinese 武士 (MC mjuX dzriX). Compare modern Min Nan pronunciation bú-sǐr. First cited to a portion of the 続日本紀 (Shoku Nihongi) dated to 721.[2][3]
Japanese philologist Shinobu Orikuchi postulated in the 1920s that bushi derived instead from 伏 (bushi), the rendaku (連濁) version of fushi, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, stem or continuative form) of verb 伏す (fusu, “to bow down, to prostrate”), as found in terms such as 山伏 (yamabushi, “mountain hermit”) and 野伏 (nobushi, “hermit; brigand”). Orikuchi contended that this word arose some time during the Kamakura or Muromachi periods, and that the kanji spelling is ateji (当て字).[4] However, the term 武士 (bushi) with the kanji spelling is attested already in the Nara period, many centuries earlier. In addition, rendaku only applies to the latter element in compounds, so nominalized verb fushi would not appear as bushi on its own.
Noun
武士 • (bushi)
- (historical, strictly) a professional warrior, a soldier
- Synonyms: 武士 (mononofu), 兵 (tsuwamono), 武芸者 (bugeisha), 武人 (bujin), 武者 (musha)
- (modern, loosely) a samurai
- Synonym: (more strictly) 侍 (samurai)
Usage notes
In modern popular usage, the terms bushi and samurai are often used in both English and Japanese somewhat loosely to refer to any soldier or warrior during Japan's feudal age (prior to the Meiji period). In historical contexts, these terms may be used with more specific senses, wherein bushi refers to any professional warrior, and samurai refers more strictly to a hereditary social class. See also
Samurai on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Derived terms
Derived terms
- 武士気質 (bushi-katagi)
- 武士詞 (bushi-kotoba)
- 武士団 (bushidan)
- 武士道 (bushidō)
- 武士の商法 (bushi no shōhō)
- 古武士 (kobushi)
Proverbs
- 武士に二言なし (bushi ni nigon nashi)
- 武士は相身互い (bushi wa aimitagai)
- 花は桜木人は武士 (hana wa sakuragi hito wa bushi)
Etymology 2
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/mo2no2no2pu/ → /mononopu/ → /mononofu/
From Old Japanese. First cited to the Kojiki of 712.[5]
Regarded as a compound of 物 (mono, “thing”, likely in reference to weapons) + の (no, possessive or genitive particle) + ふ (fu, of uncertain meaning; likely related to the be in 物部 (mononobe)).[5]
The kanji are jukujikun (熟字訓).
Etymology 3
Various nanori readings.
References
Shinobu Orikuchi, Gorotsuki no Hanashi (ごろつきの話), 1928 in 折口信夫 全集, vol. 3, 1966:
更に、此頃になって目立って来た、もう一つの浮浪者があった。諸方の豪族の家々の子弟のうち、総領の土地を貰ふことの出来なかったもの、乃至は、戦争に負けて土地を奪はれたものなどが、諸国に新しい土地を求めようとして、彷徨した。此が又、前の浮浪団体に混同した。道中の便宜を得る為に、彼等の群に投じたといふやうなことがあったのだ。後世の「武士」は、実は宛て字である。「ぶし」の語原はこれらの野ぶし・山ぶしにあるらしい。