傀儡

From 塊／块 (kuài, “chunk, lump”) + 壘／垒 (lěi, “to pile up, to accumulate”).

Semantically, “statues made of soil and timber” (Liezi) > “puppet” > “(figurative) puppet” (Qing Dynasty); also “sulks; pent-up sorrow” (Qing Dynasty).

Alternatively, Laufer connects this word with Turkish kukla (“puppet”), Ancient Greek κούκλα (koúkla, “doll, puppet”) in Oriental Theatricals.

傀儡

1. puppet; marionette
2. (figurative) puppet; someone who is manipulated by another; pawn; minion
3. (dialectal Eastern Min) child; kid

• (puppet): 木偶 (mù'ǒu)
• (someone manipulated by another): (Cantonese) 扯線公仔／扯线公仔 (chěxiàn gōngzǎi)
• (child; kid):

傀儡

1. (obsolete) sulks; pent-up sorrow

Perhaps cognate with 裹 (kugutsu, “hand bag”). Wandering artisans would put their puppets in hand bags while traveling. Also compare Korean 꼭두 (kkokdu, “phantom”).

• (Tokyo) く​ぐつ [kúꜜgùtsù] (Atamadaka – [1])[1][2]
• (Tokyo) くぐつ [kùgútsú] (Heiban – [0])[1]
• IPA^(key): [kɯ̟ᵝɡɯ̟ᵝt͡sɨᵝ]

傀儡(くぐつ) • (kugutsu) 

1. a puppet
   • 794, Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki, pages 39-40:

     機関 木人 久々都

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (historical) Clipping of 傀儡回し (kugutmawashi, “wandering street puppeteer”).
3. (by extension) a puppeteer

   Synonym: 傀儡子 (kugutsushi)

4. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) a geisha

   Synonyms: 芸者 (geisha), 芸子 (geiko), 芸妓 (geigi), 傀儡女 (kugutsume)

5. a prostitute; a female puppeteer who engages in prostitution

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:娼婦

• 傀(く)儡(ぐつ)師(し) (kugutsushi), 傀(く)儡(ぐつ)子(し) (kugutsushi)
• 傀(く)儡(ぐつ)回(まわ)し (kugutsu mawashi)
• 傀(く)儡(ぐつ)女(め) (kugutsume)
• 手(て)傀(く)儡(ぐつ) (tekugutsu)

/kwairai/ > /kairai/.

• (Tokyo) かいらい [kàíráí] (Heiban – [0])[3][1][2]
• IPA^(key): [ka̠iɾa̠i]

傀(かい)儡(らい) • (kairai) ^{←くわいらい (kwairai)?}

1. a puppet

   Synonym: 操り人形 (ayatsuri ningyō)

2. (by extension) (figurative) a puppet

   傀(かい)儡(らい)政(せい)権(けん)

   kairai seiken

   a puppet government

3. Clipping of 傀儡師 (kairaishi, “puppetmaster”).

• 傀(かい)儡(らい)軍(ぐん) (kairaigun)
• 傀(かい)儡(らい)師(し) (kairaishi)
• 傀(かい)儡(らい)政(せい)権(けん) (kairai seiken)

• Unknown (794) Yoshinori Kobayashi, editor, Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki (Kojisho Ongi Shūsei) (in Japanese), volume 1, Kyūko Shoin, published 1978, →ISBN.

傀儡 • (goeroe) (hangeul 괴뢰)

1. Hanja form^? of 괴뢰 (“puppet”).