太郎
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Japanese
[edit]Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
太 | 郎 |
た Grade: 2 |
ろう Grade: S |
kan'yōon | on'yomi |
Alternative spelling |
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太郞 (kyūjitai) |
Etymology
[edit]Appears to be a coinage within Japanese from Middle Chinese-derived elements, as a compound of 太 (ta, “fat; great”) + 郎 (rō, “boy”).
Initially used as a given name for an eldest son.[1]
Attested since at least the early 900s.[1]
Pronunciation
[edit]Proper noun
[edit]- [from at least the early 900s] a male given name (particularly for an eldest son)
- [from late 1100s] (euphemistic, by extension) the first, the biggest, the tallest, the most, the best
Usage notes
[edit]Used as a generic or stereotypical male name, like English Joe.
The first, biggest, etc. sense is used as if it were a name. This is often found used in combinations as a kind of euphemism, such as referring to the 利根川 (Tone-gawa, “Tone River”) as 坂東太郎 (Bandō Tarō, literally “Tarō of the Bandō region”), essentially describing the Tone River as the "eldest son" (i.e. foremost, biggest) of the rivers in the Bandō region.
Noun
[edit]- (Internet slang) generic protagonist of isekai-kei and social-network games
- [from 1797] (derogatory, slang) a fool, an idiot
- [from 1929] (derogatory, slang, criminal jargon) a country bumpkin, a mark (as a targeted victim for theft or other crime)
Suffix
[edit]- suffixing element in male given names
- 健太郎、慎太郎、陽太郎、小太郎
- Kentarō, Shintarō, Yōtarō, Kōtarō
- -
- 健太郎、慎太郎、陽太郎、小太郎
References
[edit]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 “太郎”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten][1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000
- ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- ^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
Categories:
- Japanese terms spelled with 太 read as た
- Japanese terms spelled with 郎 read as ろう
- Japanese terms read with on'yomi
- Japanese terms derived from Middle Chinese
- Japanese compound terms
- Japanese terms with IPA pronunciation
- Japanese lemmas
- Japanese proper nouns
- Japanese terms with multiple readings
- Japanese terms spelled with second grade kanji
- Japanese terms spelled with secondary school kanji
- Japanese terms with 2 kanji
- Japanese given names
- Japanese male given names
- Japanese euphemisms
- Japanese nouns
- Japanese internet slang
- Japanese derogatory terms
- Japanese slang
- Japanese suffixes
- Japanese terms with usage examples