破魔

Japanese

Kanji in this term
破 魔
は
Grade: 5
ま
Grade: S
on’yomi

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Buddhist term, imported into Japanese when Buddhism was introduced to Japan, some time during the Kofun, Asuka, and Nara periods.[1][2]

Appears to be from Middle Chinese compound 破魔 (MC phaH ma, literally “break + demon”).

Alternately, could be a Japanese coinage using Middle Chinese elements, as a compound of Middle Chinese-derived 破 (ha, “break, destroy”) +‎ 魔 (ma, “demon, devil”).

Noun

破(は)魔(ま) • (hama) 

  1. (Buddhism) defeating a devil or demon, particularly the demons of worldly desires or passions
Derived terms
  • 破魔士 (はまし, ​hamashi): an exorcist (Buddhism)
  • 破魔術 (はまふつま, ​hamajutsu): exorcism (Buddhism; the technique of exorcising, rather than the act of doing so)
  • (exorcise; specific to Christianity): 祓魔 (ふつま, ​futsuma)
  • (driving away evil spirits in general): 悪魔払い, 悪魔祓い (あくまばらい, ​akumabarai); 魔除け (まよけ, ​mayoke)

Verb

破(は)魔(ま)する • (hama suru) suru (stem 破(は)魔(ま)し (hama shi), past 破(は)魔(ま)した (hama shita))

  1. (Buddhism) to defeat a devil or demon, particularly the demons of worldly desires or passions
Conjugation

Etymology 2

Unknown. The kanji are ateji (当て字).[2][3]

Possibly cognate with 嵌める, 填める (hameru, “to fit or set one thing into another”), by way of the Old Japanese form 填む, 嵌む (​hamu).

Noun

破(は)魔(ま) • (hama) 

  1. a target for 破魔矢 (hamaya) archery, round and generally made of bound straw or tree branches
  2. short for 破魔弓 (hamayumi): a decorative bow, formerly used for special New Years archery competitions and now used as a ward against evil
Derived terms

References

  1. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  3. Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.