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つるべ打ち (つるべうち) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
firing in rapid succession ; volley of shots
Describes shooting arrows or guns one after another without pause, like a well bucket being dropped rapidly. Often used in historical or military contexts.
。
They rained down a volley of machine-gun fire.
Written forms つるべ 打う ち Usage 60%
Standard mixed kana-kanji spelling. The つるべ part is usually written in kana.
つるべ 撃う ち Usage 20%
Variant using 撃つ (to shoot), emphasizing the shooting aspect.
つるべうち Usage 20%
釣瓶打つるべう ち
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Ateji spelling using 釣瓶 (well bucket), historically associated with the rapid bucket-dropping motion.
連つる べ 打う ち
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form using 連 (successive), rarely used in modern writing.
Etymology From つるべ (well bucket) + 打ち (shooting). The image is of a well bucket being dropped and pulled up repeatedly, likened to shooting arrows or bullets one after another. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a traditional Japanese expression.
bottle, vial, jar