Chinese

Noun

宗主

1. suzerain

Japanese

Etymology

Probably from Middle Chinese compound 宗主 ‎(tsowng tsyu^X, literally “clan master, lineage chief”).

Pronunciation

• On'yomi: Kan'on
• (Tokyo) そ​うしゅ [sóꜜòshù] (Atamadaka - [1])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [so̞ːɕɯᵝ]

Noun

宗主 ‎(hiragana そうしゅ, romaji sōshu)

1. a suzerain (a kind of leader)
2. the head of a house, lineage, or clan
3. a leader of a lineage in the ancient Chinese feudal system
4. (Buddhism, religion) a funerary tablet, especially one at Ise Shrine for the imperial family

Derived terms

References

1. ↑ 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9

• 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan