あぶら

Japanese

Alternative spellings
油 膏 脂

Etymology

Ultimately derived from Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *anpura. As a surface analysis, this is identical to the 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) of verb 炙る (aburu, “to warm, to toast”); while this term and the verb are clearly related, whether the mizenkei is the actual derivation of the noun is as yet unclear.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あぶら [àbúrá] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [a̠bɯ̟ᵝɾa̠]

Noun

あぶら • (abura) 

1. 油, 膏: oil
2. 脂: fat
3. 脂: skin oil
   • 1996, “田園”, 玉置浩二 (lyrics), performed by 玉置浩二:

     アブラにまみれて　黙(だま)り込(こ)んだあいつ

     abura ni mamirete damarikonda aitsu

     the silent fellow covered in sweat (oily perspiration)

Idioms

• 油(あぶら)を売(う)る (abura o uru): waste time