てふ

See also: でふ and でぶ

Japanese

Etymology 1

/to iɸu/ → /teɸu/ → */tewu/ → /teu/ → /t͡ɕeu/ → /t͡ɕoː/

Shift from classical phrase と言ふ (to iu), in modern orthography と言う (to iu).

Compare the development of Middle Chinese-derived pronunciations such as 蝶 (chō, “butterfly”).

Phrase

てふ • (chō) ^{←てふ (tefu)?}

1. (poetic archaic, obsolete) Short for と言う (to iu):
   1. used in spoken attributions: they say...
      • 1205, Shin Kokin Wakashū (book 3, poem 175, also Hyakunin Isshu, poem 2)

        春(はる)過(す)ぎて夏(なつ)来(き)にけらし白妙(しろたへ)の衣(ころも)ほすてふ天(あま)の香具(かぐ)山(やま)

        haru sugite natsu kinikerashi shirotae no koromo hosu chō Ama no Kaguyama

        As spring passes and summer just around the corner, they say [there are] magnificently white robes for drying at heavenly mount Kagu.

   2. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
      • 905–914, Kokin Wakashū (book 11, poem 519)

        しのぶれば苦(くる)しきものを人(ひと)知(し)れず思(おも)ふてふこと誰(たれ)にかたらむ

        shinobureba kurushiki mono o hito shirezu omou chō koto tare ni kataran

        Hiding this painful feeling to that certain someone, to whom should I talk about this pondering?

      • c. 1005–07, Shūi Wakashū (book 11, poem 621; also Hyakunin Isshu, poem 41)

        恋(こひ)すてふわが名(な)はまだき立(たち)にけり人(ひと)知(し)れずこそ思(おも)ひそめしか

        koisu chō waga na wa madaki tachinikeri hito shirezu koso omoisomeshika

        About longing: my self stood up just a while back when they asked, “Who are you thinking of?”

   3. indicates apposition: who is..., also known as...

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "てふ" (ハ行四段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)			-
Continuative (連用形)			-
Terminal (終止形)	てふ		tefu
Attributive (連体形)	てふ		tefu
Realis (已然形)	てへ		tefe
Imperative (命令形)	てへ		tefe
Key constructions
Negative			-
Contrasting conjunction			-
Causal conjunction			-
Conditional conjunction			-
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)			-
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)			-
Perfect tense (conscious action)			-
Perfect tense (natural event)			-
Perfect-continuative tense	てへり		teferi
Adverbial			-
Volitional			-

See also

• ちふ (chū) and とふ (tō), similar development of the same phrase in Old Japanese

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of てふ – see the following entries.

【蝶ちょう】J [noun] a butterfly (insect) Alternative spelling チョウ

(This term, てふ, is a historical kana spelling of the above term.) For a list of all kanji read as てふ, see Category:Japanese kanji read as てふ.)

(The following entries are uncreated: 牒, 貼.)

Etymology 3

Proper noun

てふ • (Tefu) 

1. a female given name

てふ • (Chō) 

1. a unisex given name