Dew Drop Inn: Part 1
Friday, November 21st, 2008
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When my Japanese-language partner told me about his brother’s wedding reception, he used the word 披露, which tripped me up in a variety of ways. I learned that the yomi was ひろう (hirō), and even though the dictionary identified ひろう as a noun, it sure looked like a verb, and I couldn’t shake that sense. I eventually had to relent. After all, it’s a noun.
This compound contains 露 (RO, RŌ, tsuyu), the kanji for dew! Something about both 露 and the English word “dew” appeal to me immensely. I have no idea why, except that when I was young, I frequently passed a sign for a motel called Dew Drop Inn. It was perhaps my first exposure to wordplay, and that sign made something click on many levels.
Because of my affection for “dew” and 露, I was thrilled to see 露 inside 披露, but I wondered about the connection between “dew” and a wedding reception. Was it a reference to a dewy bride?!
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Posted by Eve Kushner in Kanji Curiosity | 5 Comments »
