もろこし
Japanese
Etymology 1
| Alternative spellings |
|---|
| 唐土 唐 |
⟨mo2ro2 ko1si⟩ → ⟨moro2ko1si⟩ → */morəkosi/ → /morokoɕi/
From Old Japanese, first attested in the Man'yōshū (c. 759 CE).
Originally a compound of 諸 (moro-, prefix meaning "many") + 越 (koshi), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of 越す (kosu, “to cross (over)”),[1] by reinterpretation of kun-reading 越 (koshi) from on-reading of 越 (Etsu).[2] The compound refers to the 百越 (Bǎiyuè, “Baiyue”, literally “Hundred Yue”),[3] a collective name for various ethnic groups which inhabited Southern China.
The kanji spellings 唐土 and 唐 are jukujikun (熟字訓), literally meaning “Tang land” and “Tang” respectively.
Proper noun
もろこし • (Morokoshi)
Derived terms
- もろこしきび (morokoshi kibi)
Etymology 2
| Alternative spellings |
|---|
| 蜀黍 唐黍 |


Clipping of もろこしきび (morokoshi kibi), with the shortened reading then re-applied to the entire original kanji compounds 唐黍 and 蜀黍.[5]
Noun
もろこし or モロコシ • (morokoshi)
Derived terms
- 玉蜀黍 (tōmorokoshi)
References
- 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
- “唐土・唐”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”) (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
- 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN
- 1988, 国語大辞典(新装版) (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan