Translingual

Han character

仏 (radical 9 人+2, 4 strokes, cangjie input 人戈 (OI) or X人戈 (XOI), composition ⿰亻厶)

References

• KangXi: page 92, character 5
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 364
• Dae Jaweon: page 195, character 3
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 1, page 110, character 5
• Unihan data for U+4ECF

Chinese

Japanese

Kanji

(grade 5 “Kyōiku” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 佛)

1. Buddha
2. France (from 仏蘭西)

Readings

• Goon: ぶつ (butsu)
• Kan’on: ふつ (futsu)
• Kun: ほとけ (hotoke)

Compounds

Etymology 1

Abbreviation of ateji term 仏蘭西 ‎(Furansu, “France”).

Pronunciation

• On'yomi: Kan'on
• (Tokyo) 仏​ [仏ꜜ] (Atamadaka - [1])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [仏]

Proper noun

仏 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 佛, hiragana ふつ, romaji Futsu)

1. Abbreviation of 仏蘭西: France

   札幌日 (さっぽろにち)仏 (ふつ)協会 (きょうかい)

   Sapporo Nichi Futsu Kyōkai

   The Sapporo Japan-France Society

Synonyms

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 佛陀 ‎(bjut dhɑ, “Buddha”), itself from Sanskrit बुद्ध ‎(buddha).

Pronunciation

• On'yomi: Goon
• (Tokyo) ぶ​つ [búꜜtsù] (Atamadaka - [1])
• IPA^(key): [bɯᵝt͡sɯᵝ]

Noun

仏 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 佛, hiragana ぶつ, romaji butsu)

1. Buddhism

Synonyms

Proper noun

仏 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 佛, hiragana ぶつ, romaji Butsu)

1. Abbreviation of 仏陀: Buddha.

Etymology 3

Unclear. The hoto element might be from a Chinese dialect variation on Middle Chinese 佛陀 ‎(bjut dhɑ),^[1] or possibly just the 佛 ‎(bjut) portion,^[2] ultimately deriving from Sanskrit बुद्ध ‎(buddha). The ke element might be the suffix 気 ‎(ke, “spirit”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• (Tokyo) ほとけ [hòtóké] (Heiban - [0])^[1]
• (Tokyo) ほとけ​ [hòtókéꜜ] (Odaka - [3])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [ho̞to̞ke̞]

Noun

仏 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 佛, hiragana ほとけ, romaji hotoke)

1. A Buddha: an enlightened or awakened sentient being.
2. A statue or image of any Buddha.
3. The deceased, a departed soul.
4. A term that a parent calls a child expressing parental affection: "my dear".
   • c. 890: Taketori Monogatari^[3] (page 7)

     我子の佛、變化の人と申しながら、こゝら大さまで養ひ奉る志疎かならず。

     わ が こ の ほとけ、 へんげ の ひと と まうしながら、 ここら おほき さま で やしなひ たてまつる こころざし をろか ならず。

     Wa ga ko no hotoke, henge no hito to maushinagara, kokora ohoki sama de yashinahi tatematsuru kokorozashi woroka narazu.

     My dear child, when you are talking about someone who is a manifestation [of a supernatural entity], it would not be dumb to try to bring them up in this grand fashion.

   • c. 890: Taketori Monogatari^[3] (page 61)

     あが仏、何事思ひたまふぞ。

     あ が ほとけ、 なにごと おもひたまふ ぞ。

     A ga hotoke, nanigoto omohitamafu zo.

     My dear, what on earth are you thinking about?

Proper noun

仏 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 佛, hiragana ほとけ, romaji Hotoke)

1. Sakyamuni Buddha, Nepalese spiritual and philosophical teacher and founder of Buddhism: Siddhartha Gautama.
2. Any of the other Buddhas named in Buddhist scriptures.

References

1. 1 2 3 4 5 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
2. ↑ 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, ISBN 4-09-501211-0
3. 1 2 Horiuchi, Hideaki; Ken Akiyama (1997) Taketori Monogatari , Ise Monogatari, Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, ISBN 4-00-240017-4