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Definition 2024

元首

元首

Chinese

 
primary; first; fundamental; dollar; (dynasty)
 
head; chief; first (occasion); first (thing); measure word for poems
simp. and trad.
(元首) 		元 首

Noun

元首

  1. head of state (esp. the king/emperor of China)
  2. beginning

Synonyms

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
元 首
げん
Grade: 2 		しゅ
Grade: 2
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese compound 元首 ‎(ngjwon syuwX, literally “first, prime + head”).

Pronunciation

Noun

元首 ‎(hiragana げんしゅ, romaji genshu)

  1. head of state (the chief public representative of a nation), ruler, sovereign
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
元 首
もと
Grade: 2 		くび
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Compound of 元 ‎(moto, “origin, base”) +‎ 首 ‎(kubi, “neck, head”).[2]

Pronunciation

Noun

元首 ‎(hiragana もとくび, romaji motokubi)

  1. (rare) the base of the neck
  2. (rare) (by extension upwards) the head
Usage notes

The kun'yomi reading of motokubi is rare for this term.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
  2. ↑ 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan

Pronunciation

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