不死身

Japanese

Kanji in this term

Grade: 4
し > じ
Grade: 3

Grade: 3
goon on’yomi kun’yomi

Etymology

Compound of 不死 (fuji-, immortality, deathlessness, this reading only found in a few compounds; in isolation, the reading is fushi) + (mi, body).[1][2]

The apparent rendaku on the middle syllable is difficult to explain. Rendaku usually only happens at the boundaries of a compound's elements, whereas here we see the initial element 不死 (fushi) shift to 不死 (fuji-). Phonologically, this would suggest that the compound were instead (fu-, not, un-) + 死身 (*shimi, dying + body). However, no such term exists; the closest term is 死に身 (shinimi, dying + body).

First cited to a text from 1703.[3]

Pronunciation

Adjective

()()() • (fujimi) -na (adnominal ()()() (fujimi na), adverbial ()()() (fujimi ni))

  1. [from 1703] invulnerable, indestructible, immortal
  2. [from 1925] (figurative) invulnerable, unfazable, unflappable: not becoming discouraged or frustrated in the face of failure or difficulty

Usage notes

Although this term is used with the -na adjective grammar pattern using the particle (na), it is also frequently encountered as an attributive noun with the particle (no) instead.

Inflection

Noun

()()() • (fujimi) 

  1. invulnerability, indestructibility, immortality
    • 2000 August 10, Yūma Andō with Asaki, Masashi, “(けん)()() (くに)(みつ)”, in サイコメトラーEIJI(エイジ), volume 24 (fiction), Tokyo: Kodansha, →ISBN:
      ハーッハーッ バカ()(ろう) ()()()()(とう)(くに)(みつ)をナメンなよ⁉
      Hāhhā' Baka yarō Fujimi no Mutō Kunimitsu o namen na yo⁉
      Hahahaha! Bastard! Never hearda the indestructible Mutō Kunimitsu, ain’t ya⁉
  2. [from 1703] an invulnerable, indestructible, or immortal body
  3. [from 1925] (figurative) invulnerability, unfazability, unflappability: the state or quality of not becoming discouraged or frustrated in the face of failure or difficulty
  4. [from 1925] (figurative) a person with an unfazable or unflappable character

Usage notes

Although this term is found with the -na adjective grammar pattern using the particle (na), it is also frequently encountered as an attributive noun with the particle (no) instead.

See also

References

  1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. 1988, 国語大辞典(新装版) (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
  4. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term

Noun

不死身 • (bulsasin) (hangeul 불사신)

  1. Hanja form? of 불사신 (an immortal).
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