チャリンコ

Japanese

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) チャリンコ [chàríńkó] (Heiban – [0])[1]
IPA^(key): [t͡ɕa̠ɾʲĩŋko̞]

Alternative forms

ちゃりんこ

Etymology 1

Unknown. Becomes widespread in Japanese from the 1970s. Possible origins include:

a compound of チャリン (charin, the sound of a bicycle bell) +‎ 子 (ko, diminutive nominalizing suffix)
borrowed from Jeju 자륜거 (jaryun'geo, “bicycle”), apparently deriving from the hanja 自輪車, instead of 自轉車 for standard Korean 자전거 (jajeon'geo), possibly introduced by immigrants to Japan

Noun

チャリンコ • (charinko)

(slang) a bicycle

Usage notes

May have childish overtones. Not used in formal contexts.

Synonyms

自(じ)転(てん)車(しゃ) (jitensha)
チャリ (chari)

Derived terms

Derived terms

チャリ (chari): abbreviated form
チャリ通(つう) (charitsū): commuting by bicycle
ママチャリ (mamachari): a “mama bike”, with baskets in front and back, or possibly a child seat in back
ババチャリ (babachari): (pejorative) an “old-lady bike”, a bicycle ridden by an elderly woman
カマチャリ (kamachari): a “praying mantis bike”, a bicycle with the handlebars turned upwards to resemble the front legs of a 蟷螂 (kamakiri, “praying mantis”)
原(げん)チャリ (genchari): a moped, a scooter

Etymology 2

Unknown. Possibly a compound of チャリン (charin, the sound of metal clinking, such as coins) +‎ 子 (ko, “child”).

In use since the Edo period, pre-dating the bicycle sense. Apparently falling out of use some time after the end of WWII.

Noun

チャリンコ • (charinko)

(obsolete) a child pickpocket

Synonyms

(pickpocket, in general):
- 掏摸(すり), 掏児(すり) (suri)
- 巾(きん)着(ちゃく)きり (kinchaku-kiri) (compare English cutpurse)
- ちぼ (chibo) (slang, Kyōto and Ōsaka areas)

References

Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third 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.