question on proverb
henry atting
1. 急 が ば 廻 れ
2. 急 が ば 回 れ
I here have a writing from my calligraphy teacher which is not doubtlessly
readable where the second kanji also could be: 迴
The romanized transcription is attached to the calligraphy which is:
Iso ga ba mawa re
So according to this the second kanji is probably not 迴 (KAI)
Are the two notations mentioned above equal? Could the second kanji
possibly be 迴?
henry
Shimpei Yamashita
> As far as I see the proverb can be written in two different ways:
>
> 1. 急 が ば 廻 れ
> 2. 急 が ば 回 れ
>
> I here have a writing from my calligraphy teacher which is not doubtlessly
> readable where the second kanji also could be: 迴
> The romanized transcription is attached to the calligraphy which is:
>
> Iso ga ba mawa re
>
> So according to this the second kanji is probably not 迴 (KAI)
kai is the on-yomi for 廻, and mawa-ru is the kun-yomi.
> Are the two notations mentioned above equal? Could the second kanji
> possibly be 迴?
Short answer: Yes and yes.
Long answer:
Both kanji have the same on- and kun-yomi, and can be used
interchangeably for many types of words, including this proverb. So
both usages are equally correct.
So which should you use? Modern casual usage favors 回 over 廻, and
the J-J dictionary I have lists 回 exclusively. 廻 is a rather antique
kanji that is rarely seen today. If you insist on using it in
colloquial phrases like these, Japanese people will probably think you
are being a pedantic smartass.
Having said that, I do believem 廻 is the more correct version in ths
case. The two kanji originally had different meanings: 回 has the
meaning "to rotate" or "to turn around," cf. 回転. 廻, on the other
hand, denotes "circumnavigating" or "travel around," cf. 廻船 (Edo-era
shipping route). My kanji dictionary explains that the two have been
conflated to have the same meaning at some point. The proverb above
means "When in hurry, take a detour," so 廻 clearly fits the context
better than 回. 回 would mean the proverb is advising people to
pirouette every time they're in a hurry....
Shimpei.
Ben Finney
> 1. 急 が ば 廻 れ
> 2. 急 が ば 回 れ
慌てちゃだめだめ。
<URL:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V5ubAOeOBk>
--
\ “I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which, |
`\ when you looked at it in the right way, did not become still |
_o__) more complicated.” —Paul Anderson |
Ben Finney
henry atting
> On 2009-11-24, henry atting <nsm...@online.de> wrote:
>> As far as I see the proverb can be written in two different ways:
>>
>> 1. 急 が ば 廻 れ
>> 2. 急 が ば 回 れ
>>
>> I here have a writing from my calligraphy teacher which is not doubtlessly
>> readable where the second kanji also could be: 迴
>> The romanized transcription is attached to the calligraphy which is:
>>
>> Iso ga ba mawa re
>>
>> So according to this the second kanji is probably not 迴 (KAI)
>
> kai is the on-yomi for 廻, and mawa-ru is the kun-yomi.
Ah, okay. I was asking because the Nelson I have only mentiones the on
reading for 迴
Many thanks,
henry
JimBreen
> kai is the on-yomi for 廻, and mawa-ru is the kun-yomi.
Most 漢和辞典 show 廻 as having only 音読み. You have to know
that it can substitute for 回 and inherit its readings.
Jim
Shimpei Yamashita
Really? My Kadokawa shows both, but then again, it's fifty years old....
Shimpei.