三日月

Japanese

Kanji in this term
三	日	月
み Grade: 1	か Grade: 1	つき > づき Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
朏 (rare)

Etymology

From Old Japanese.

Compound of 三日 (mika, “third day of a lunar month”) +‎ 月 (tsuki, “moon”). The tsuki changes to zuki as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) みかづき [mìkázúkí] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [mʲika̠zɨᵝkʲi]

Noun

三(み)日(か)月(づき) • (mikazuki) 

1. a crescent moon on the third day of a lunar month, especially on the eighth lunar month
2. (by extension) Short for 三日月形 (mikazuki-gata): a crescent moon in general
   • Hidekaz Himaruya, “ヘタリアと愉快な仲間たち [Hetalia and Blissful Friends]”, in Axis Powers ヘタリア [Axis Powers Hetalia], volume 4 (fiction), Tokyo: Gentosha, →ISBN, page 24:

     トルコ
     【首(しゅ)都(と)】アンカラ
     【公(こう)用(よう)語(ご)】トルコ語(ご)
     【国(こっ)花(か)】チューリップ
     【国(こっ)旗(き)の意(い)味(み)】
     救(きゅう)国(こく)の伝(でん)説(せつ)からとられた三(み)日(か)月(づき)と星(ほし)は、民(みん)族(ぞく)の進(しん)歩(ぽ)と国(こっ)家(か)の独(どく)立(りつ)を象(しょう)徴(ちょう)し、赤(あか)色(いろ)はオスマン朝(ちょう)の色(いろ)とされている。

     Toruko
     【Shuto】Ankara
     【Kōyōgo】Toruko-go
     【Kokka】Chūrippu
     【Kokki no imi】
     Kyūkoku no densetsu kara torareta mikazuki to hoshi wa, minzoku no shinpo to kokka no dokuritsu o shōchō shi, akairo wa Osuman-chō no iro to sareteiru.

     Turkey
     Capital: Ankara
     Official language: Turkish
     National flower: Tulip
     National flag’s meaning:
     The crescent and star, which derive from the legendary battle for the country, represent the country’s development and the state’s independence, and the color red was the color of the Ottoman dynasty.

3. Synonym of 小爪 (kozume): a claw in the shape of a crescent moon
4. a type of mask used in Noh

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 三日(みか)月(づき)形(がた) (mikazuki-gata)
• 三日(みか)月(づき)湖(こ) (mikazukiko)
• 三日(みか)月(づき)女郎(じょろう) (mikazuki jorō)
• 三日(みか)月(づき)形(なり) (mikazukinari)
• 三日(みか)月(づき)の (mikazuki no, pillow word)
• 三日(みか)月(づき)眉(まゆ) (mikazuki mayu)
• 三日(みか)月(づき)藻(も) (mikazukimo)
• 肥(ひ)沃(よく)な三日(みか)月(づき)地帯(ちたい) (Hiyoku na Mikazuki Chitai)

Proper noun

三(み)日(か)月(づき) • (Mikazuki) 

1. a placename
2. a surname
3. a male given name

Old Japanese

Etymology

Compound of 三日 (mi₁ka, “third day of a lunar month”) +‎ 月 (tuki₂, “moon”).

Noun

三日月 (mi₁kaduki₂) (kana みかづき)

1. a crescent moon on the third day of a lunar month
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 6, poem 994:

     振仰而若月見者一目見之人乃眉引所念可聞

     purisake₂te mi₁kaduki₂ mi₁reba pi₁to₂me₂ mi₁si pi₁to₂ no₂ mayo₁bi₁ki₁ omopoyuru ka mo

     The crescent moon calls to mind the painted eyebrow of a maiden I once glimpsed.

2. (by extension) a crescent moon in general
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 6, poem 993:

     月立而眞三日月之眉根掻氣長戀之君尓相有鴨

     tuki₂ tatite tada mi₁kaduki₂ no mayo₁ne kaki₁ ke₂ nagaku ko₁pi₂si ki₁mi₁ ni ape₁ru ka mo

     The moon comes up and just like the crescent moon, my eyebrows as they itch―and having yearned for you so long I find that at last I have you.

Descendants

• Japanese: 三日月 (mikazuki)