Japanese

Noun

玄関 ‎(hiragana げんかん, romaji genkan, historical hiragana げんくわん)

1. the entrance to a profound path; in particularly an introduction to the Zen Buddhist discipline
2. the entrance to a Zen Buddhist temple
3. the place of entrance / exit in a Japanese home; usually recessed into the floor
   • 1603–1604, Nippo Jisho (page 296)

     Guenquan. ゲンクヮン (玄関) 茶の湯 (Chanoyu)へ行くのに通る道の入り口、または、門. また、ある人の家の中に入るのに通る奥の入口.

See also

• 玄関 (げんか) ‎(genka)

Derived terms

• 玄関帳 (げんかんちょう) ‎(genkanchō)
• 玄関番 (げんかんばん) ‎(genkanban)

Etymology 2

From earlier genkan. genkwan > genkwa > genka. The final /a/ was likely nasalized. Common during the Edo period.

Noun

玄関 ‎(hiragana げんか, romaji genka, historical hiragana げんくわ)

1. same as 玄関 ‎(genkan)
   • 1686: Shika no Makifude (鹿の巻筆) (page 182)

     浪人、「さてはいまのももんぐわあゆへ」と思ひながら、是非なく座敷をたちけり。玄関(げんくわ)口へ出ければ、又かのいたづらがき、玄関（げんか）のわきに居けり。

References

• Doi, Tadao (1603–1604) Hōyaku Nippo Jisho (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, ISBN 978-4-00-080021-1, published 1980.
• Odaka, Toshio (1966) Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 100: Edo Shōwashū, Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, ISBN 4-0006-0100-8

1. ↑ 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, ISBN 978-4-14-011112-3