Setsuyoshu
Encyclopedia
The was a popular Muromachi Period
Japanese dictionary collated in iroha
order and subdivided into semantic categories. The title word setsuyō means "reduce usage; economize" and alludes to the Lunyu (compare the Kagakushū
). "Confucius said: 'If you would govern a state of a thousand chariots (a small-to-middle-size state), you must pay strict attention to business, be true to your word, be economical in expenditure and love the people'." (tr. Muller http://www.hm.tyg.jp/~acmuller/contao/analects.html#div-5)
The origins of the Setsuyōshū are unclear. The oldest extant edition is dated 1496 CE, and the text was probably compiled shortly before the Bunmei
era (1469–1487 CE). Despite much speculation about the dictionary's anonymous author, Bailey (1960:47) concludes "a nameless fifteenth-century Zen priest is the likeliest candidate."
Unlike many early Japanese dictionaries
of Chinese characters that were intended for literati, the Setsuyōshū was a true Japanese language dictionary and entered vocabulary current in Muromachi times. Each main entry gives the word in kanji
(Chinese characters), notes Japanese pronunciation in katakana
on the right, and occasionally adds etymologies and comments on the bottom.
There are numerous Setsuyōshū editions (over 180 from the Edo Period
) and many vary in content and format. Most versions collate words according to their first syllable under 43-47 iroha divisions (bu 部) with 9-16 semantic subdivisions (mon 門), which usually begin with "Heaven and Earth" (Tenchi 天地) and end with "Unclassified words" (Genji 言辞). This arrangement combines both Iroha Jiruishō
phonetic ordering and Kagakushū
semantic classifications.
The Japanese linguist Hashimoto Shinkichi
analyzed differences among early Setsuyōshū editions and found three categories, distinguished by the first word beginning with i- appearing under the first '"Heaven and Earth" heading. The dictionaries' initial word is either Ise (伊勢 "old name for Mie Prefecture
"), Indo (印度 "India"), or inui (乾 "northwest"). "Ise editions" have few appendices, put place names near the beginning of subject headings, and are probably the oldest redaction
. "Indo editions" have many appendices, including place names, and clearly have been supplemented from the 1444 CE Kagakushū. "Inui editions" are usually printed with movable type
, have more entries and corrections, and are the newest version.
Setsuyōshū has a parallel with Webster's informally meaning "English language dictionary". Nakao (1989:37) notes this dictionary "remained popular for so long that the name Setsuyoshu was used as a generic term for Japanese dictionaries (with the entries arranged in the order of iroha)."
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
Japanese dictionary collated in iroha
Iroha
The is a Japanese poem, probably written in the Heian era . Originally the poem was attributed to the founder of the Shingon Esoteric sect of Buddhism in Japan, Kūkai, but more modern research has found the date of composition to be later in the Heian Period. The first record of its existence...
order and subdivided into semantic categories. The title word setsuyō means "reduce usage; economize" and alludes to the Lunyu (compare the Kagakushū
Kagakushu
The , alternatively read as Gegakushū, was a 1444 Japanese dictionary of Chinese characters arranged into semantic headings. The title alludes to Confucius's self-description in the Lunyu: 下学而上達 "My studies lie low, and my penetration rises high." The , alternatively read as Gegakushū, was a 1444...
). "Confucius said: 'If you would govern a state of a thousand chariots (a small-to-middle-size state), you must pay strict attention to business, be true to your word, be economical in expenditure and love the people'." (tr. Muller http://www.hm.tyg.jp/~acmuller/contao/analects.html#div-5)
The origins of the Setsuyōshū are unclear. The oldest extant edition is dated 1496 CE, and the text was probably compiled shortly before the Bunmei
Bunmei
was a after Ōnin and before Chōkyō. This period spanned the years from April 1469 through July 1487. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1469 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events...
era (1469–1487 CE). Despite much speculation about the dictionary's anonymous author, Bailey (1960:47) concludes "a nameless fifteenth-century Zen priest is the likeliest candidate."
Unlike many early Japanese dictionaries
Japanese dictionaries
Japanese dictionaries have a history that began over 1300 years ago when Japanese Buddhist priests, who wanted to understand Chinese sutras, adapted Chinese character dictionaries. Present-day Japanese lexicographers are exploring computerized editing and electronic dictionaries...
of Chinese characters that were intended for literati, the Setsuyōshū was a true Japanese language dictionary and entered vocabulary current in Muromachi times. Each main entry gives the word in kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
(Chinese characters), notes Japanese pronunciation in katakana
Katakana
is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet . The word katakana means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana scripts are derived from components of more complex kanji. Each kana represents one mora...
on the right, and occasionally adds etymologies and comments on the bottom.
There are numerous Setsuyōshū editions (over 180 from the Edo Period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
) and many vary in content and format. Most versions collate words according to their first syllable under 43-47 iroha divisions (bu 部) with 9-16 semantic subdivisions (mon 門), which usually begin with "Heaven and Earth" (Tenchi 天地) and end with "Unclassified words" (Genji 言辞). This arrangement combines both Iroha Jiruishō
Iroha Jiruisho
The is a 12th century Japanese dictionary of Kanji . It was the first Heian Period dictionary to collate characters by pronunciation rather than by logographic radical or word meaning .The Iroha Jiruishō has a complex history involving editions of two, three,...
phonetic ordering and Kagakushū
Kagakushu
The , alternatively read as Gegakushū, was a 1444 Japanese dictionary of Chinese characters arranged into semantic headings. The title alludes to Confucius's self-description in the Lunyu: 下学而上達 "My studies lie low, and my penetration rises high." The , alternatively read as Gegakushū, was a 1444...
semantic classifications.
The Japanese linguist Hashimoto Shinkichi
Hashimoto Shinkichi
was a Japanese linguist, born in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, Japan.-Biography:Hashimoto is especially noted for the discovery of Jōdai Tokushu Kanazukai, which makes it clear that Old Japanese made more syllabic distinctions than later periods of the language. This discovery led him to hypothesize...
analyzed differences among early Setsuyōshū editions and found three categories, distinguished by the first word beginning with i- appearing under the first '"Heaven and Earth" heading. The dictionaries' initial word is either Ise (伊勢 "old name for Mie Prefecture
Mie Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....
"), Indo (印度 "India"), or inui (乾 "northwest"). "Ise editions" have few appendices, put place names near the beginning of subject headings, and are probably the oldest redaction
Redaction
Redaction is a form of editing in which multiple source texts are combined and subjected to minor alteration to make them into a single work. Often this is a method of collecting a series of writings on a similar theme and creating a definitive and coherent work...
. "Indo editions" have many appendices, including place names, and clearly have been supplemented from the 1444 CE Kagakushū. "Inui editions" are usually printed with movable type
Movable type
Movable type is the system of printing and typography that uses movable components to reproduce the elements of a document ....
, have more entries and corrections, and are the newest version.
Setsuyōshū has a parallel with Webster's informally meaning "English language dictionary". Nakao (1989:37) notes this dictionary "remained popular for so long that the name Setsuyoshu was used as a generic term for Japanese dictionaries (with the entries arranged in the order of iroha)."