Shikona meanings, take 2

[Manekineko 200]

Anyone remember this thread?

I figure the rikishi (and Forum membership) ensemble has changed enough for it to be interesting again. With the usual disclaimers that literal meanings are not all that matters in shikona-giving, that there are traditional bits of shikona specific to a heya/oyakata, and so on.

So! Who wants some shikona translated? ;-)

Edited March 25, 2015 by Manekineko

[dingo 1,263]

Good idea! I'll start with a big whale -- I've wondered from time to time what does Kisenosato mean, but I've always been too lazy to attempt a translation. Maybe there's others like me around who'd like to find out?

[Kasutera 258]

Pardon my somewhat clunky translations, but here you go with all the Yokozuna and Ozeki:

Hakuho 白鵬 - White Peng (A mythical Chinese large bird, like Garuda in Hindu mythology)

Harumafuji 日馬富士 - Sun Horse Fuji. The "Fuji" part is meant to evoke Mt. Fuji and is common suffix for his stable. If you want to break those kanji down further, you could say "Scholar/Knight of Abundance." I'm sure the "sun horse" part is a reference to Mongolian herdsmen.

Kakuryu 鶴竜 - Crane Dragon - The simplest one!

Kisenosato 稀勢の里 - Village of Rare Force/Momentum. N.B. the "se" kanji is also the complete shikona kanji for Ikioi, which means "force" or "momentum"

Kotoshogiku 琴奨菊 - Harp (Japanese koto string instrument) Prize Crysanthemum, N.B. the "giku," which literally means chrysanthemuim, comes from his actual surname, Kikutsugi

Goeido 豪栄道 - Way of Brave Honor

[Kasutera 258]

I like Ichinojo because it's kind of a contradiction:

逸ノ城 - The Castle of Escape

[Monnodo 60]

I like Ichinojo because it's kind of a contradiction:

逸ノ城 - The Castle of Escape

Wow. that fits his sumo style so well. I hope one day he will just be Jo because why is he going so much backwards?

[Landmine950 44]

what about Konishiki yasokichi ??

[Manekineko 200]

Wow. that fits his sumo style so well. I hope one day he will just be Jo because why is he going so much backwards?

Jo part is the castle, not escape. ;-)

what about Konishiki yasokichi ??

Konishiki is "Small Brocade", kanji of Yasokichi literally mean eight-ten-joy (or eighty-joy, if eighty is legit translation for "yaso" reading of eight-ten kanji combo). In short, "Very Fortunate"? If I'd have to translate Yasokichi as a name, he'd be Felix. ;-)

Felix Smallweave. :-D

Edited March 26, 2015 by Manekineko

[Landmine950 44]

so what about brodi's new shikona?

Homarenishiki Yasokichi,

are there multiple possible translations?

Any comments about the shikona?

[Onibushou 61]

I guess I'll take a stab at the rest of the top division. These are rough and generally literal translations (so likely wrong (Scratching chin...)). Grain of salt, improvements welcome, etc. I've actually learned quite a bit about kanji from sumo and shikona in particular, but there's still plenty to learn yet...

Teru-no-fuji- 照 (Illuminate or shine) ノ富士 (Fuji) S O-ki-no-umi 隠岐 (Oki- taken from his home, the Oki Islands) の海 (sea)

Tama-washi 玉 (jewel/gem) 鷲 (eagle) K Myou-gi-ryuu 妙 (exquisite) 義 (righteousness) 龍 (older variant of dragon [竜])
Tochi-o-zan 栃 (horse chestnut) 煌 (glitter, twinkle) 山 (mountain) M1 Ichi-no-jo 逸 (evade, escape) ノ 城 (castle)
Sa-da-no-umi 佐 (assist, aid) 田 (rice field/paddy) の海 (sea) M2 Takara-fuji 宝 (treasure) 富士 (fuji)
Taka-yasu 高 (tall, expensive) 安 (relax, cheap) M3 Aoi-yama 碧 (an unusual kanji for blue) 山 (mountain)

[The dictionary also lists something called 高安病- Takaysu disease (Eh?) ]

Take-kaze 豪 (overpowering) 風 (wind) M4 Tochi-no-shin 栃 (horse chestnut) ノ心 (heart)
Toyo-no-shima 豊 (bountiful) ノ島 (island) M5 En-dou 遠 (distant) 藤 (wisteria) [Also just his real name]
A-mi-nishiki 安 (relax/cheap) 美 (beautiful) 錦 (brocade) M6 Kai-sei 魁 (pioneer) 聖 (holy)
Homare-fuji 誉 (honor) 富士 (Fuji) M7 Toku-shou-ryuu 徳 (virtue) 勝 (victory) 龍 (dragon)
Sho-hou-zan 松 (pine tree) 鳳 (mythical male fire bird) 山 (mountain) M8 Toki-ten-ku 時 (time) 天 (heaven) 空 (sky, empty)
Yoshi-kaze 嘉 (applaud, praise) 風 (wind) M9 Jou-ko-yruu 常 (usual, common) 幸 (happiness) 龍 (dragon)
Kyoku-shu-hou 旭 (rising sun) 秀 (excel) 鵬 (Peng) M10 Kita-tai-ki 北 (north) 太 (thick) 樹 (tree, timber)
Oo-suna-arashi 大 (great) 砂 (sand) 嵐 (storm) M11 Kyoku-ten-hou 旭 (rising sun) 天 (heaven) 鵬 (Peng)
Chi-yo-otori 千 (one thousand) 代 (change) 鳳 (mythical male fire bird) M12 Koto-yuu-ki 琴 (koto) 勇 (courage) 輝 (radiance)

[千代 is also a phrase for 1,000 years, or hyperbole for any long period of time and likely more relevant than their individual meanings]

Ikioi 勢 (force, strength) M13 Sou-koku-rai 蒼 (pale blue?) 国 (country) 来 (to come)
Sa-da-no-fuji 佐 (assist, aid) 田 (rice field/paddy) の富士 (Fuji) M14 Ara-washi 荒 (rough, wild) 鷲 (eagle)
Toyo-hibiki 豊 (bountiful) 響 (echo, reverberate) M15 Ga-ga-maru 臥 (lie down) 牙 (tusk, fang) 丸 (round) [i'd feel insulted if he didn't have 丸]
A-mu-ru 阿 (?) 夢 (dream) 露 (dew, also associated with Russia because of its ro [roshia] reading) M16 Chi-yo-maru 千 (1,000) 代 (change) 丸 (round)

Edit- hachijuu is listed as more common, but yaso is a reading of 八十 (80). kichi 吉 (joy, good fortune/luck), and Homare-nishiki seems to be something like 誉 (Honorable)+ 錦 (brocade).

Edited March 29, 2015 by Onibushou

[Onibushou 61]

Wow. that fits his sumo style so well. I hope one day he will just be Jo because why is he going so much backwards?

Jo part is the castle, not escape. ;-)

In that case, he will eventually be only Ichi. Which would make him #1 B-)

[Akinomaki 40,485]

I like Ichinojo because it's kind of a contradiction:

逸ノ城 - The Castle of Escape[/size]

Don't forget the real meanings/backgrounds of the shikona, posted regularly.

Castle of outstanding talents / High class castle

The shikona for Ichinnorow: 逸ノ城 Ichinojō

His real name for the sound of the first kanji, the meaning being outstanding talent, and the jō (castle) from his high school Tottori Jōhoku.

his kanji of the year is the first of his shikona, 逸, read itsu from itsuzai, outstanding talent, he simply loves that kanji.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Akinomaki

[rzombie1988 159]

How about:

Orora

Takanoyama

[botev1921 33]

To me the long ones or really short ones have always been very interesting as to what they mean and why are they so long or so short? If someone helps with those, he will really put me to peace:

Momochizakura

Echizenyama

Byakkomaru

Tamakongo

Goshi

Ryusei

Daijo

Abi

[teo_heel 33]

How about:

Orora

Takanoyama

Orora... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora - that's what it means.

[Onibushou 61]

Ō-ro-ra, 大 (great, large) 露 (dew, but again with the roshia connection) 羅 (thin silk, gauze), but as mentioned above, オーロラ is an aurora.

Taka-no-yama, 隆 (prosperous, noble) の山 (mountain)

Kagayaki, 輝 is radiance (though usually 輝き in normal writing).

The other 1-kanji name, Hagane 鋼 is simply steel.

Meanwhile, the super short A-bi is two- 阿炎. Not sure what the first one is best translated as (I doubt its connection to Afurika is relevant), but its the same in Amuru and Aran. 炎 is blaze (inflammation is also possible, but again likely not as relevant).

Ryuu-sei, 竜 (the simplified dragon kanji) 勢 (force)

Dai-jou, 大 (great) 乗 (ride, to board a vehicle) [The dictionary lists 大乗 as Mahayana Buddhism though]

Gou-shi 剛 (sturdy, strength) 士 (gentleman+warrior)

momo-chi-zakura, 桃 (peach tree) 智 (wisdom) 桜 (cherry tree)

Tama-kon-gou, 玉 (jewel, gem) 金 (gold) 剛 (sturdy, strength) [$$$ = Power?]

Echi-zen-yama 越 (surpass, exceed) 前 (in front of, before) 山 (mountain) [Likely related to the Echizen City in Fukui-ken]

Byakko, 白虎 is just a white tiger. For Byakkomaru, just add 丸 (round) to the end.

[Akinomaki 40,485]

Meanwhile, the super short A-bi is two- 阿炎. Not sure what the first one is best translated as (I doubt its connection to Afurika is relevant), but its the same in Amuru and Aran. 炎 is blaze (inflammation is also possible, but again likely not as relevant).

A is typical for names, so it should be used for the intended name rather than translate it

Abi = Ashura blaze (the name here fits better when pronounced in Japanese, like Ashra)

Shikoroyama-oyakata's nickname as an infant: Abi = ah, baby (another paper has: = a baby)

A- from Asura, a many handed heavenly fighting demon. The oyakata thinks his tsuppari and hataki are the closest to his own. He wants him to be strong as Asura, fighting fired up: the -bi means flame.

Edited March 30, 2015 by Akinomaki

[Asojima 2,874]

It can be fun doing blind dictionary translations of the shikona, but in most cases, as Akinomaki has pointed out, there are very subtle intricacies and histories tied to the individual characters in the name that are far more interesting than the simple character meaning. Without the knowledge of these intricacies, the translations of shikona are almost always a shot in the dark, but it is fun shooting.

[Manekineko 200]

so what about brodi's new shikona?

More about this in the Brodi thread.

[Orion 431]

It can be fun doing blind dictionary translations of the shikona, but in most cases, as Akinomaki has pointed out, there are very subtle intricacies and histories tied to the individual characters in the name that are far more interesting than the simple character meaning. Without the knowledge of these intricacies, the translations of shikona are almost always a shot in the dark, but it is fun shooting.

I went into the sumo museum in the Kokugikan yesterday, and the new exhibition is on shikona. I got some surprises, too -- had no idea some of the shikona of relatively modern times go back to the Edo period. As usual the English 'translation' at the bottom of each sign is often hard to fathom even when you can read the Japanese and know what the English is supposed to mean. I wish I could ignore it, but there's a sort of hypnotic fascination about it.

(I entirely agree with the observations on the pitfalls of trying to 'translate' shikona when there is often an oblique reference rather than a literal meaning.)

Orion

Edited April 1, 2015 by Orion

[inhashi 2,363]

I just realized Sato-yama ---> Sugar Mountain ♥

Well I was hoping. I suppose it's actually the idyllic Village Mountain (里山), and that's ok too ;)

[Catalin B 13]

Sorry for digging up ancient history, this is the best fit I could find for my (possibly silly) question.

Do shikona containing the kanji 丸 (maru) typically refer to the wrestler's body shape?

[robnplunder 975]

1 hour ago, Catalin B said:

Sorry for digging up ancient history, this is the best fit I could find for my (possibly silly) question.

Do shikona containing the kanji 丸 (maru) typically refer to the wrestler's body shape?

I don't believe so although a few may deserve the kanji in their name.