also: かたい · かったい · きっかい
Archaic or literary term for a beggar. In modern Japanese, 乞食 (こじき) or ホームレス are more common. The kanji 乞丐 is rarely used; the word is mostly encountered in historical or literary contexts.
In old tales, there are scenes where a beggar helps a traveler.
The word 乞丐 is hardly used nowadays.
Literary kanji form; rarely used in modern Japanese. The reading こつがい is the most common for this spelling.
Alternate reading; archaic or dialectal. Rarely encountered.
Alternate reading; archaic or dialectal. Rarely encountered.
Alternate reading; archaic or dialectal. Rarely encountered.
The kanji 乞 means 'beg' and 丐 also means 'beggar'. The word is of Chinese origin (cf. Mandarin qǐgài). The multiple readings (こつがい, かたい, かったい, きっかい) reflect historical or dialectal variations; the exact derivation of each reading is uncertain.