故郷

See also: 故鄉, 故鄕, and 故乡

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
故	郷
こ Grade: 5	きょう Grade: 6
kan’on

Alternative spellings
故鄕 (kyūjitai) 古郷

/kokʲau/ → /kokʲɔː/ → /kokʲoː/

From Middle Chinese 故鄉 (MC kuH xjang).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) こ​きょー [kóꜜkyòò] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ko̞kʲo̞ː]

Noun

故(こ)郷(きょう) • (kokyō) ^{←こきやう (kokyau)?}

1. a hometown, homeland

   Synonyms: 郷里 (kyōri), 里 (sato)

Derived terms

• 生(う)まれ故(こ)郷(きょう) (umare kokyō, “birthplace”)

Idioms

• 故(こ)郷(きょう)へ錦(にしき)を飾(かざ)る (kokyō e nishiki o kazaru)
• 故(こ)郷(きょう)忘(ぼう)じ難(がた)し (kokyō bōjigatashi)
• 錦(きん)衣(い)を着(き)て故(こ)郷(きょう)に帰(かえ)る (kin'i o kite kokyō ni kaeru)
• 錦(にしき)を着(き)て故(こ)郷(きょう)へ帰(かえ)る (nishiki o kite kokyō e kaeru)

See also

• 同(どう)郷(きょう) (dōkyō)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
故	郷
ふる Grade: 5	さと Grade: 6
irregular	kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
故鄕 (kyūjitai)

For pronunciation and definitions of 故郷 – see the following entry.

【ふるさと】 [noun] a homeland, hometown (place one was born and/or raised) [noun] a familiar place one has lived, stayed, or visited in the past [noun] an ancient city, usually crumbling or already in ruins, that once prospered [noun] (figurative) a holy ground [noun] (archaic) one's house or home [noun] (slang) female genitalia Alternative spellings 古里, 故里

(This term, 故郷, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
故	郷
くに
Grade: 5	Grade: 6
jukujikun

Alternative spelling
故鄕 (kyūjitai)

Compare the senses of “sovereign state” and “rural area” in English country.

Noun

故郷(くに) • (kuni) 

1. (poetic) Alternative spelling of 国 (kuni): one's hometown or birthplace
   • 1902, Uchida Roan, Making Many Different Faces in Society (Impoverished Working Student)

     故郷(くに)を出(で)る時(とき)は矢(や)張(はり)人(ひと)並(なみ)に学(がく)若(も)し成(な)らずんば死(し)すとも帰(かえ)らずと力(りき)んだが

     Kuni o deru toki wa yahari hitonami ni gaku moshi narazunba shi su tomo kaerazu to rikinda ga

     It was at the time when I left my home, as with the average person, I bore the “if he fails to acquire learning, he must never return even though he dies” mentality.

   • 1990, Yoshi Ikuzō (lyrics and music), “Suika [Drinking Song]”, performed by Yoshi Ikuzō:

     風(かぜ)に風(かぜ)にヨ暖(の)簾(れん)巻(ま)く風(かぜ)にヨ
     遠(とお)い故(く)郷(に)のヨ親(おや)父(じ)を想(おも)う

     Kaze ni kaze ni yo noren maku kaze ni yo
     Tōi kuni no yo oyaji o omou

     As the winds blow the shop's curtain,
     I think of my dad back home in the far country.