Onkochishinsho
Encyclopedia
The was the first Japanese dictionary to collate words in the now standard gojūon
order. This Muromachi Period
dictionary's title uses a Classical Chinese
four-character idiom
from the Lunyu:
The preface to the Onkochishinsho is dated 1484 (Bunmei
era), and gives the compiler's name as Ōtomo Hirokimi (大伴広公). It notes this little-known lexicographer was a Shajinshi (社神司 "Earth God Official") in Shiragi (新羅 "ancient Korean kingdom of Silla
"). Kaneko (1997:47) reads this fourth character as an honorific (公 "duke; lord") and identifies him as Ōtomo Taihiro 大伴泰広.
When Ōtomo chose to collate the Onkochishinsho in the 10 by 5 grid gojūon "fifty sounds" order (a-i-u-e-o), he went against centuries of Japanese dictionary tradition using the poetic iroha
order (i-ro-ha-ni-ho). For example, the circa 1469 CE Setsuyōshū
predecessor collates words primarily in iroha order, and secondarily under semantic headings.
The Onkochishinsho preface credits these 12 categories to the 1341–1346 CE Kaizō ryakuin (海蔵略韻 "Outline of Rimes [prepared at] Kaizō [Temple]"), compiled by the Rinzai Zen priest and scholar Kokan Shiren
. However, since the received Kaizō ryakuin edition has 14 mon headings, Bailey (1960:47) concludes either it originally had 12, or the preface means Kokan's earlier 1306–1307 CE Jubun inryaku (聚分韻略 "Rime Outline, Classified and Explained") that has these same 12 headings. Both of Kokan's Sino-Japanese dictionaries were primarily collated by 106 Chinese rime table
categories, and secondarily by subject headings. While continuing the Muromachi dictionary tradition of semantic categories for secondary ordering, like the Jubun inryaku and Setsuyōshū; the Onkochishinsho principally collated word entries with well-known Japanese gojūon instead of iroha ordering or arcane Chinese rimes.
Although many Japanese dictionaries published after the Onkochishinsho continued to use bookish iroha instead of user-friendly gojūon order, it eventually became the dominant lexicographic arrangement.
Gojuon
The is a Japanese ordering of kana.It is named for the 5×10 grid in which the characters are displayed, but the grid is not completely filled, and, further, there is an extra character added outside the grid at the end: with 5 gaps and 1 extra character, the current number of distinct kana in a...
order. This Muromachi Period
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
dictionary's title uses a Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...
four-character idiom
Four-character idiom
Chengyu are a type of traditional Chinese idiomatic expressions, most of which consist of four characters. Chengyu were widely used in Classical Chinese and are still common in vernacular Chinese writing and in the spoken language today...
from the Lunyu:
The preface to the Onkochishinsho is dated 1484 (Bunmei
Bunmei
was a after Ōnin and before Chōkyō. This period spanned the years from April 1469 through July 1487. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1469 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events...
era), and gives the compiler's name as Ōtomo Hirokimi (大伴広公). It notes this little-known lexicographer was a Shajinshi (社神司 "Earth God Official") in Shiragi (新羅 "ancient Korean kingdom of Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
"). Kaneko (1997:47) reads this fourth character as an honorific (公 "duke; lord") and identifies him as Ōtomo Taihiro 大伴泰広.
When Ōtomo chose to collate the Onkochishinsho in the 10 by 5 grid gojūon "fifty sounds" order (a-i-u-e-o), he went against centuries of Japanese dictionary tradition using the poetic iroha
Iroha
The is a Japanese poem, probably written in the Heian era . Originally the poem was attributed to the founder of the Shingon Esoteric sect of Buddhism in Japan, Kūkai, but more modern research has found the date of composition to be later in the Heian Period. The first record of its existence...
order (i-ro-ha-ni-ho). For example, the circa 1469 CE Setsuyōshū
Setsuyoshu
The was a popular Muromachi Period Japanese dictionary collated in iroha order and subdivided into semantic categories. The title word setsuyō means "reduce usage; economize" and alludes to the Lunyu...
predecessor collates words primarily in iroha order, and secondarily under semantic headings.
Contents
The Onkochishinsho enters about 13,000 words, collated first by gojūon and then by 12 subject classifications (mon 門), shown below.| Heading | Rōmaji | Kanji Kanji Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet... |
Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenkon | 乾坤 | Heaven and Earth |
| 2 | Jikō | 時候 | Seasons |
| 3 | Kikei | 気形 | Creatures |
| 4 | Shitai | 支体 | Anatomy Anatomy Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy... |
| 5 | Taigei | 態芸 | Art and Form |
| 6 | Seishoku | 生植 | Plant Plant Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or... s |
| 7 | Shokufuku | 食服 | Food and Clothing |
| 8 | Kizai | 器財 | Utensils |
| 9 | Kōsai | 光彩 | Colours |
| 10 | Sūryō | 数量 | Weight Weight In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force on the object due to gravity. Its magnitude , often denoted by an italic letter W, is the product of the mass m of the object and the magnitude of the local gravitational acceleration g; thus:... s and Measure Measure - Legal :* Measure of the Church of England is a law passed by the General Synod and the UK Parliament equivalent of an Act* Measure of the National Assembly for Wales, a law specific to Wales passed by the Welsh Assembly between 2007 and 2011... s |
| 11 | Kyoō | 虚押 | Particles |
| 12 | Fukuyō | 複用 | Peduplicatives |
The Onkochishinsho preface credits these 12 categories to the 1341–1346 CE Kaizō ryakuin (海蔵略韻 "Outline of Rimes [prepared at] Kaizō [Temple]"), compiled by the Rinzai Zen priest and scholar Kokan Shiren
Kokan Shiren
Kokan Shiren , 1278–1347), Japanese Rinzai Zen patriarch and celebrated poet in Chinese, was the son of an officer of the palace guard and a mother of the aristocratic Minamoto clan. At age eight he was placed in the charge of the Buddhist priest Hōkaku on Mt. Hiei. At age ten he was ordained...
. However, since the received Kaizō ryakuin edition has 14 mon headings, Bailey (1960:47) concludes either it originally had 12, or the preface means Kokan's earlier 1306–1307 CE Jubun inryaku (聚分韻略 "Rime Outline, Classified and Explained") that has these same 12 headings. Both of Kokan's Sino-Japanese dictionaries were primarily collated by 106 Chinese rime table
Rime table
A rime table or rhyme table is a syllable chart of the Chinese language, a significant advance on the fǎnqiè analysis used in earlier rime dictionaries...
categories, and secondarily by subject headings. While continuing the Muromachi dictionary tradition of semantic categories for secondary ordering, like the Jubun inryaku and Setsuyōshū; the Onkochishinsho principally collated word entries with well-known Japanese gojūon instead of iroha ordering or arcane Chinese rimes.
Although many Japanese dictionaries published after the Onkochishinsho continued to use bookish iroha instead of user-friendly gojūon order, it eventually became the dominant lexicographic arrangement.
External links
- 海蔵略韻, 五山版, rare edition Kaizō ryakuin, Waseda University Library
- 聚分韻略, rare 1481 edition Jubun inryaku, National Diet LibraryNational Diet LibraryThe is the only national library in Japan. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to the U.S...
