Character - Nickname

Japanese: 字 - あざな

〘Name〙①(i) In China, an alias given to a boy at the time of coming of age ceremony, which he continued to use. Usually, characters that have some connection to the real name are chosen. This custom arose from a time when calling someone by their real name was considered disrespectful, based on a primitive belief that abhorred knowing their real name. ※Hokke Gishoshi-hiwa-in (c. 928) "character (Asana)" [Book of Rites - Kyokurei, Vol. 1] (b) A name other than the real name given to a person by literary figures and scholars in Japan following Chinese custom. ※Shoki (720) Before Ninken's accession (Kitano Hon-in) "Emperor Kei's given name (tata no mina) was Daikaku. (abbreviated) his character ( miasana) was Shimaro." ※Genji (c. 1001-14) Otome "The practice of creating nicknames was practiced long ago." ② An alias that people are accustomed to calling someone by their real name in addition to their real name. Also, the act of calling someone by their real name. A common name. A nickname. ※Ryōiki (810-824) says, "There is a temple called Konshu. The name is because Konshu Upasaka lived in this mountain temple, and so it is called Sata."※Konjaku (around 1120) 24 "His name is unknown, but his pen name is Sata ."③ Childhood name. [Nippo Jisho (1603-04)]④ Different words for the same thing. ※Man'yoshu (late 8th century) 18.4106, left note, "The word _Satsuma -ryu is the pen name for _a wandering woman."⑤ The name of a small division of a town or village. Aza. ※Essays, Tamakatsuma (1795-1812) 2 "About the thing called azana (abbreviation) There are also characters for fields, characters of any kind, etc., but they are not properly defined names, but are used in different ways." [Essay] (1) In "Essays, Tamakatsuma-2" by Motoori Norinaga, it is written that "Since ancient times, names other than the proper name have often been called azana , and in the middle ages, what we now call common names were sometimes called azana," and this was the understanding in the early modern period. The "azana" of the Heian aristocrats was a ceremonial one, and naturally disappeared during the Kamakura period. When the custom in the court society disappeared, monks began to use the term "azana." Then, during the Edo period, it spread among Confucian scholars and men of letters, but it seems that it was generally considered to be a title of respect.
(2) During the Insei period, there was a distinction between "Hinmyo" and "Azana." "Hinmyo" was a name based on a specific feature such as the body or character, and was used only by the social class to which the person to be addressed belonged. It was a negative name that hurt the feelings of the person, and was equivalent to a nickname today. On the other hand, "Azana" was a positive name that was used to directly address the person to whom it was addressed, regardless of the reason for the name or the user.

ji [letter]

[1] 〘noun〙① A symbol used to visually mark a language. Kana, Chinese characters, Sanskrit characters, Roman letters, Hangul, etc. It can also refer to the number of sounds or syllables represented by kana, as in "jiyori" ( extra characters). Characters. Moji. ※Shoku Nihongi, Tenpyo 2 (730), New Year's Day, "In writing, _benevolence , righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and faith, five characters were written _in _one . _Each character was _{given to me} ." ※Kanchiin Hon Sanbo-e (984), "In comparison with these sutras, there was one character that did not exist." [Shuowen - Preface] ② Refers especially to Chinese characters that are read by their phonetic sounds. ※Kana Zoushi, Ukiyo Monogatari (c. 1665), 1 "The sound of the character (ji) written as 'the capital is tilted ' is called ' the city is tilted.'" ③ Written words. The written form of words. ※Renri Hisho (1349) "Rhyming characters: Do not dislike the characters in the names of things and words." ④ Handwriting. Handprints. ※Nippo Jisho (1603-04) "Iiuaqega (jiwakega) mienu〈translation〉I cannot read these characters." ⑤ Coins wrapped in red and white paper and used for gambling on games such as yangyu and sugoroku. → Ji (4). ※Joruri Matsukaze Murasame Sokutai Kan (around 1707) 4 "It was said that this was a bad sign for games of yangyu and sugoroku , so the governor asked, "No, it's not a character." ⑥ It means a coin . There are four characters on the front of the coin, so it is called one-fourth of that, or 2.5 rin. Also, the character is considered to be the same as the word, so it is called a mon coin. → Ji (4). ※Joruri: Meido no Hikyaku (c. 1711), vol. 1: "No matter how much we send you, we won't lose a single sen or a single ji." ⑦ A term for one momme of medicine. ※Isan-Ryōgo (1774), vol. 10: "A single character of crimson." ⑧ (Used with a character of a person's name with the character "no" added) A word used to indicate a person's name without saying it directly. ※Ninjōhon: Shunshoku Umeji Homare (1832-33), vol. 1: "But when I'm happy, I won't be able to do that (Masatsugu)." ⑨ Name of a crest. A crest that resembles ①. Examples include the character "ichi" in a circle, the character "ju" in a circle, the character "ko" diamond, and the character "ri" in a circle. [2] [Suffix] ① Used to count people. ※ Proclamation No. 855 - November 22, 1870 (Meiji 3) "When an official is dismissed, the notice has been given by a twelve-letter summons, but from now on, the notice will be given by a cross summons. However, in the case of a person dismissed for a crime, the notice will be given by a two-letter summons." ② ⇒ji (time) (2) ②

Birthmark [character]

〘Noun〙① In early modern times, a small name of land. After the merger of cities, towns, and villages in the Meiji period, early modern villages came to be called oaza, and smaller small names came to be called koaza. Usually, koaza are simply called za. Azana. [Chihou Hanreiroku (1794)]② A group of houses. A small settlement. *Yami no Emaki (1930) by Kajii Motojiro: "There was a small azana (mark) beside the road."

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

〘名〙①(イ) 中国で、男子が元服の時につけて、それ以後通用させた別名。通常、実名と何らかの関係のある文字が選ばれる。実名を知られるのを忌んだ原始信仰に基づき、実名を呼ぶのを不敬と考えるようになったところからの風習。※法華義疏紙背和訓（928頃か）「字（阿佐奈）」〔礼記‐曲礼・上〕(ロ) 日本で、中国の風習にならって文人、学者などがつけた、実名以外の名。※書紀（720）仁賢即位前（北野本訓）「計天皇の諱(たたのみな)は大脚。〈略〉字(みアサナ)は嶋郎」※源氏（1001‐14頃）乙女「あざなつくることはひむかしのゐんにてし給ふ」② 実名のほかに人々が呼びならわしている別名。また、その名を言うこと。通称。あだな。※霊異記（810‐824）中「一つの寺有り。号けて金鷲と曰ふ。金鷲優婆塞、斯の山寺に住するが故に、以て字とす」※今昔（1120頃か）二四「名は不知(しらず)、字をば佐太とぞ云ける」③ 幼名。〔日葡辞書（1603‐04）〕④ 同じ物を別のことばでいったもの。※万葉（８Ｃ後）一八・四一〇六・左注「言_二佐夫流_一者遊行女婦之字也」⑤ 町村内の小区画の単位の名。あざ。※随筆・玉勝間（1795‐1812）二「あざなといふ物の事〈略〉其外にも田地の字、何の字くれの字などいふも、皆正しく定まれる名としもなくて、よびならへるをいへり」[語誌](1)本居宣長の「随筆・玉勝間‐二」に「古へより、正しき名の外によぶ名を、字(アザナ)といへること多し、中むかしには、今のいはゆる俗名をも、字といへることあり」とあり、これが近世の認識であった。平安貴族の「あざな」は儀礼的なもので、鎌倉時代には自然消滅し、公家社会での風習が途絶えた頃、僧侶が「あざな」を称するようになった。ついで江戸時代には、儒者・文人の間に広まったが、総じて尊称的なものと考えられていたようである。
(2)院政期には、「異名」と「あざな」とは使い分けが存し、「異名」は、身体・性行などの特異な点に基づく命名であり、使用が被呼称者の属する社会層に限られ、当人にとって心情を損なうマイナスの評価を伴うもので、現在の渾名(あだな)に相当するものであった。一方、「あざな」は、命名の由縁や使用者に関係なく、被呼称者に直接呼びかけられるプラスの評価を伴うものであった。

じ【字】

[1] 〘名〙① 言語を視覚的にしるし留めるために用いる記号。かな、漢字、梵字(ぼんじ)、ローマ字、ハングルなどの類。また、「字余り」などのように、かなで表わされる音の数、音節をいうこともある。文字。もじ。※続日本紀‐天平二年（730）正月辛丑「書以_二仁義礼智信五字_一、随_二其字_一而賜_レ物」※観智院本三宝絵（984）中「こぞの経と見合するにかれにはなき字一あり」〔説文‐序〕② 特に、字音で読まれるものとしての漢字をいう。※仮名草子・浮世物語（1665頃）一「都傾くと書きたる字(ジ)の声を傾城(けいせい)といふなり」③ 書かれたことば。ことばの書かれた形。※連理秘抄（1349）「韻字物の名と詞の字と是を嫌ふべからず」④ 筆跡。手跡。※日葡辞書（1603‐04）「Iiuaqega(ジワケガ) ミエヌ〈訳〉この文字が読めない」⑤ 銭を紅白の紙に包み、楊弓、双六などの賭に用いるもの。→地(じ)(四)。※浄瑠璃・松風村雨束帯鑑（1707頃）四「これは楊弓・双六の、勝負にかくるおあしならんとありければ、司の前聞き給ひ、いやいや字(ジ)にて候はず」⑥ 銭(ぜに)をいう。銭の表面に文字が四つあるので、その四分の一、すなわち二分五厘の称。また、字を文と同一とみて、銭一文の称。→地(じ)(四)。※浄瑠璃・冥途の飛脚（1711頃）上「如何様共仕送って、一銭・一じ損かけまじ」⑦ 薬の量目で一匁の称。※医案類語（1774）一〇「臙脂一字」⑧ (人名の一字に「の字」を付けた形で用いて) 人の名前をあらわに言わないで示すのに用いる語。※人情本・春色梅児誉美（1832‐33）初「しかしおゐらアもふ幸さんの時にゃア、ノウまのじ（政次のことなり）」⑨ 紋所の名。①を紋様に象ったもの。丸に一の字、丸に十の字、小の字菱、丸に利の字などがある。[2] 〘接尾〙① 人を数えるのに用いる。※布告第八五五‐明治三年（1870）一一月二二日「官員免職之節、是迄名代十二字召出にて御達相成候処、自今十字召出にて当人へ御達相成候事、但有罪免職の輩は、名代二字召出御達相成候事」② ⇒じ（時）(二)②