「免印」Help with a curious expression

[Mikhail Skovoronskikh]

Dear PMJS members,

I hope you are doing well.

Recently I have been asked to translate a fairly simple early Showa document certifying a Judo master's credentials and proper transmission from his teacher. The document is in sorobun and is generally quite clear except for one thing. Instead of using such standard language as 印可 or 允可 to convey the sense of "certify," this document is titled "免印之事." Furthermore, the sentence conveying the overall import of the document reads:

多年御出精ニ付此度令免印者也

The compound 免印 is what bothers me here. One is tempted to interpret it as a sort of synonym for 印可, probably derived from 免許印 by means of contraction (compare to 免許状⇒免状), but I can't help but feel like there is something fishy to it. The original sorobun compels me to read the whole sentence as 多年ご出精に付きこの度免印せしむる者なり, and such a rendering would make perfect sense with 印可 substituted for 免印 ... Yet lexically the latter combination still seems quite strange (after all, why not interpret it along the lines of "exempt from needing to use a seal," as literary Chinese syntax demands?).

I have scoured the internet and Japan Knowledge for answers to this conundrum, but to no avail. Is someone on PMJS has had an experience working with 印可状 or similar materials, I would greatly appreciate any hints as to how to deal with this pesky idiosyncrasy.

Best regards,

Mikhail Skovoronskikh

[Richard Bowring]

Is this not just a note that because of long, devoted service as a judo instructor (?) the recipient no long has need of certification?

Richard Bowring

Sent from my iPad

On 30 Jul 2022, at 00:41, Mikhail Skovoronskikh <ms3...@georgetown.edu> wrote:



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[Mikhail Skovoronskikh]

Dear Dr. Bowring,

Thank you very much for your response.

It seems to me that this interpretation is somewhat unlikely. Since the document is in a private collection, I haven't been authorized to disclose it verbatim, but the general structure is as follows. First, three clauses are introduced, where the recipient is encouraged to practice benevolence and righteousness, strive for further perfection, and exhibit exemplary moral character. Then the final clause says " 多年御出精ニ付此度令免印者也." It is also known that the recipient had received a 免許皆伝 from his master (who also happens to be the issuer of the document) some years prior to that, so the next logical step would have been to grant him with an official 印可状.

In a private communication, Dr. Yoshihiro Man'i has suggested that the compound 免印 may be a kind of shorthand for 印可を免（ゆる）す, which is certainly 和習, but makes quite a bit of sense nonetheless. Alternatively, the compound may be a contraction of 免許印信 or some similar locution.

Having weighed the pros and cons of the two interpretations that have surfaced so far, I tend to favor the 免印＝印可 one, but if someone here has encountered the compound 免印 in their research, I'd greatly appreciate their input.

Best regards,

Mikhail 

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[Mikhail Skovoronskikh]

Dear everyone,

Thank you very much for your insightful suggestions.

I believe Dr. Schmidt-Hori's example from Gunsho ruiju supplies a crucial piece of evidence to substantiate Dr. Man'i's theory (i.e., 免印＝「印可を免（ゆる）す」の略).

PMJS has yet again proven an invaluable resource!

Best regards,

Mikhail Skovoronskikh

On Sun, Jul 31, 2022 at 5:25 PM Mikael Bauer, Dr. <mikael...@mcgill.ca> wrote:

Good evening/morning,

I checked my sensei's Menkyo (Iaido, 8th dan), and while the expression does not occur (the characters 免許 do of course), I believe the sentence could mean that the person in question is allowed to issue their own Menkyo (for which I believe you need a specific seal)

Maybe a long shot?

Mikael Bauer

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From: pm...@googlegroups.com <pm...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Mikhail Skovoronskikh <ms3...@georgetown.edu>
Sent: July 31, 2022 5:49 PM
To: pm...@googlegroups.com <pm...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [PMJS] 「免印」Help with a curious expression

 

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