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Subject:Re: Question regarding subject of Edo era Banzuke
Posted By: I.Nagy Fri, Jan 24, 2025
One of the peculiarities of the Japanese language is the large number of homonyms. One part of these homonyms is created in the written language purposely by transcribing words consisting of unambiguous Chinese characters into the ambiguous syllabic (kana) writing. The other part is context dependent homonyms.
This banzuke gives us a taste of such ambiguous words.
Translation of the middle part from top down.
大ちがい - Ōchigai - A great difference (Title)
一合取テモ ぶし - Ichigō torite mo bushi - If he earns only one gō of rice, he can still be a bushi (samurai)
九合目 ふじ - Kyūgōme Fuji - Nineth station of
Mt. Fuji
一生 ぶじ - Isshō buji - Lifetime safe
江戸の氣性 Nature of Edo
傾城の起證 Furnished by instances of a courtesan
Some examples,
武者 ゆうき - Musha yuki - Warrior bravery
下總 ゆうき - Shimosa (Province) yuki - Spookies
代直し ゆたか - Dainaoshi yutaka - New generation ownership - Richness
お直し よたか - Onaoshi yotaka - Touching up makeup - Courtesan
だいたん よこしま - Daitan yokoshima - Audacious - Perverse
たんもの よこじま - Tanmono yokojima - Drapery - Horizontally striped
日中 ひる - Nicchū hiru - Daytime - Noon
水中 ひる - Suichū hiru - In water - Leech
宿驛 うらない - Shukueki uranai - Staging posts on highways - not making profits
周易 うらない - Shūeki uranai - Divination - Fortune telling
etc.etc.
Down in the picture Yawata Tarō a.k.a. Minamoto Yoshitsune,the deified protector of Japan and one Bantarō of the many, who were involved in night watches in cities, cracking down and detaining vagrants, doing chores in prisons during the Edo period are depicted as making an agreement on sharing their protective jobs.
With regards,
I.Nagy
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