肥後守

Japanese
Kanji in this term
肥 後 守
ひ
Grade: 5		 ご(の)
Grade: 2		 かみ
Grade: 3
kan’on kan’yōon kun’yomi
Alternative spelling
肥後の守

Etymology

Compound of 肥後 (Higo, “Higo Province”, corresponding to modern Kumamoto Prefecture) +‎ の (no, possessive particle) +‎ 守 (kami, “governor (of a province)”). Coined as part of the Ritsuryō system of the late 600s and early 700s.

The knife sense arose from this term being used as a trademark for a specific brand of pocketknife, originally produced by former swordmakers in Kumamoto Prefecture.[1] This brand name then became used for this style of pocketknife in general (compare usage of English kleenex or aspirin). This sense is first cited in 1931.[2]

Pronunciation
  • (Tokyo) ひごの​かみ [hìgó nóꜜ kàmì] (Nakadaka – [3])[3]
  • IPA(key): [çiɡo̞ no̞ ka̠mʲi]

Noun

肥(ひ)後(ごの)守(かみ) • (Higo no Kami) 

  1. [from late 600s or early 700s] (history, government) the Governor of Higo
  2. [from 1931] a type of Japanese folding pocketknife

References
  1. “肥後守”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
  2. “肥後守”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
  3. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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