蛇之助

Japanese
Kanji in this term
蛇 之 助
じゃ
Grade: S		 の
Jinmeiyō		 すけ
Grade: 3
goon kun’yomi

Etymology

Appears to be composed of 蛇 (ja, “snake, serpent”) +‎ 之助 (nosuke, a common suffix component amongst male given names).

Two explanations are suggested:

  • An allusion to the Japanese legend in which the storm god Susanoo-no-Mikoto fells the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi by first intoxicating it with large quantities of alcohol.[1][2][3]
  • In reference to snakes' tendency to swallow things whole, therefore likening this to excessive drinkers' habitual consumption of large quantities of alcohol.[1][2]

Pronunciation
  • (Tokyo) じゃの​すけ [jànóꜜsùkè] (Nakadaka – [2])[2]
  • IPA(key): [d͡ʑa̠no̞sɨᵝke̞]

Noun

蛇(じゃ)之(の)助(すけ) • (janosuke) 

  1. heavy drinker; alcoholic

Synonyms

References
  1. 1998, 広辞苑 (Kōjien), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN
  2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
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