Japanese

Noun

破魔 ‎(hiragana はま, romaji hama)

1. (Buddhism) defeating a devil or demon, particularly the demons of worldly desires or passions

Derived terms

• 破魔士 (はまし, ​hamashi): an exorcist (Buddhism)
• 破魔術 (はまふつま, ​hamajutsu): exorcism (Buddhism; the technique of exorcising, rather than the act of doing so)

Related terms

• (exorcise; specific to Christianity): 祓魔 (ふつま, ​futsuma)
• (driving away evil spirits in general): 悪魔払い, 悪魔祓い (あくまばらい, ​akumabarai); 魔除け (まよけ, ​mayoke)

Verb

破魔する ‎(hiragana はまする, romaji hama suru)

1. (Buddhism) to defeat a devil or demon, particularly the demons of worldly desires or passions

Conjugation

Etymology 2

Unknown. The kanji are ateji.^[2][3]

Possibly cognate with 嵌める, 填める ‎(hameru, “to fit or set one thing into another”), by way of the Old Japanese form 填む, 嵌む (​hamu).

Noun

破魔 ‎(hiragana はま, romaji hama)

1. a target for 破魔矢 (​hamaya) archery, round and generally made of bound straw or tree branches
2. short for 破魔弓 (​hamayumi): a decorative bow, formerly used for special New Years archery competitions and now used as a ward against evil

Derived terms

• 破魔矢 (はまや, ​hamaya): a decorative arrow used as a ward against evil
• 破魔弓 (はまゆみ, ​hamayumi): decorative bow used to shoot a hamaya, given to boys as a toy at New Years

References

1. 1 2 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
2. 1 2 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
3. ↑ 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13143-0