陽炎

See also: 阳炎

Chinese

positive (electric.); sun; male flame; inflammation; ‑itis
trad. (陽炎) 陽 炎
simp. (阳炎) 阳 炎

Pronunciation

Noun

陽炎

  1. dazzling sunlight, glare of sunlight

Japanese

FWOTD – 18 October 2015

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
陽 炎
Grade: 3 Grade: S
Irregular

*/kaɡiru hi/ → /kaɡirohi/ → /kaɡiroi/

Originally a compound of かぎる (kagiru, “to shine, to shimmer”, obsolete, only found in compounds; cognate with 影 kage, “shadow”, and with the kaga element in 炫 kaga, kagaya, “shining, shimmering”; 輝く kagayaku, “to shine, to sparkle”) +‎ 火 (hi, “fire, flame”).[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

陽炎 (hiragana かぎろい, rōmaji kagiroi, historical hiragana かぎろひ)

  1. (archaic) heat shimmer, heat haze
    • c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 10, poem 1835), text here:
      今更 雪零目八方 蜻火之 燎留春部常 成西物乎
      今さらに 雪降らめやも かぎろひの 燃ゆる春へと なりにしものを
      いまさらに ゆきふらめやも かぎろひの もゆるはるへと なりにしものを
      Ima sara ni / yuki furame ya mo / kagirohi no / moyuru haru he to / narinishi mono wo
      And now already, when snow shall not fall, it has become the springtime with its smouldering heat haze
  2. (archaic) the glow of dawn
    • c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 1, poem 48), text here:
      東 野炎 立所見而 反見為者 月西渡
      東の 野にかぎろひの 立つ見えて かへり見すれば 月かたぶきぬ
      ひむがしの のにかぎろひの たつみえて かへりみすれば つきかたぶきぬ
      Himugashi no / no ni kagirohi no / tatsu miete / kaherimi sureba / tsuki katabukinu
      In the field of the east, the start of the dawn's glow can be seen, and looking back the other way, the moon has begun to set
Usage notes

In general use, this term has been replaced by the modern form kagerō below.

Used in poetry and formal writing as a 枕詞 (makura kotoba), a kind of epithet, to precede certain terms.

  • 陽炎の春 (kagiroi no haru): “heat-hazy spring” → introduces the idea of springtime, from the way that fields often shimmer in the heat of a sunny spring day.
  • 陽炎の心燃ゆ (kagiroi no kokoro-moyu): “heat-hazy heart-burning” → in reference to the heat of one's passion (note that this is not heartburn in the English term's sense of indigestion).

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
陽 炎
Grade: 3 Grade: S
Irregular

/kaɡiroi/ → /kaɡeroi/

Shift in pronunciation from kagiroi above.[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

陽炎 (hiragana かげろい, rōmaji kageroi, historical hiragana かげろひ)

  1. (archaic) heat shimmer, heat haze
Usage notes

In general use, this term has been replaced by the modern form kagerō below.

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
陽 炎
Grade: 3 Grade: S
Irregular

/kaɡeroi/ → /kaɡerou/ → /kaɡeroː/

Shift in pronunciation from kageroi above.[1] This is the most common reading.

Starting from the Heian period, used in poetry to allude to something indistinct, or something that might not be there; compare use of the English term mirage. Also used as an allusion or metaphor for something ephemeral or fleeting.

Associated with the season of spring.

Pronunciation

Noun

陽炎 (hiragana かげろう, rōmaji kagerō)

  1. heat shimmer, heat haze
Idioms
  • 陽炎 (かげろう)稲妻 (いなずま)水 (みず)の月 (つき) (kagerō inazuma mizu no tsuki): “heat haze, lightning, the moon [reflected] in water” → a metaphor for something unobtainable; compare pie in the sky
Usage notes

This kagerō form is the modern reading.

Used in writing as a 枕詞 (makura kotoba), a kind of epithet, to precede certain terms.

  • 陽炎の小野 (kagerō no Ono): “heat-hazy Ono” → introduces places called Ono (literally “small field”), from the way that fields often shimmer in the heat of a sunny day.
  • 陽炎の石 (kagerō no ishi): “heat-hazy stones” → in reference to a place with exposed stone, such as a stone wall, boulders, or a riverbed.

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
陽 炎
よう
Grade: 3		 えん
Grade: S
on’yomi

/jauen/ → /jɔːen/ → /joːen/

From Middle Chinese compound 陽炎 (yang hjem, literally “sun + burn, blazing”). Compare modern Mandarin 陽炎／阳炎 (yángyán, “sun glare”).

Pronunciation

Noun

陽炎 (hiragana ようえん, rōmaji yōen, historical hiragana やうえん)

  1. heat shimmer, heat haze
Usage notes

Less common than the kagerō reading above.

References

  1. 1 2 3 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
  2. 1 2 3 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ↑ 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
陽炎

Noun

陽炎 • (yang-yeom) (hangeul 양염)

  1. Hanja form? of 양염 (“heat haze; waves of heat; heat waves; (a veil of) heat shimmer; shimmering of heated air”).
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