noun
fifth court rank
Historical term from the Japanese court rank system (位階). Refers to the fifth rank, often subdivided into senior (正五位) and junior (従五位) grades. Used in historical contexts.
彼の先祖は五位の官位を持っていた。
His ancestor held the fifth court rank.
noun
black-crowned night heron
Abbreviation of 五位鷺 (ごいさぎ). Refers to the bird Nycticorax nycticorax. The name is said to derive from the bird's appearance resembling a courtier of the fifth rank. Used in ornithological and everyday contexts.
See also: 五位鷺
夕方になると、池のそばで五位が鳴き始める。
In the evening, the night herons start calling by the pond.
noun
five ranks; five stages
Buddhist term referring to five stages or ranks in various doctrinal contexts, such as the five ranks of enlightenment in Zen or the five stages of the path. Domain-specific and rarely used outside Buddhist literature.
禅宗では、修行の過程を五位に分けて説明することがある。
In Zen Buddhism, the process of practice is sometimes explained by dividing it into five ranks.
Full name for the black-crowned night heron; 五位 is the common abbreviation.
The broader court rank system; 五位 is a specific rank within it.
The kanji 五 (five) and 位 (rank/position) directly give the meaning 'fifth rank'. The bird name is an abbreviation of 五位鷺, with folk etymology linking the heron's plumage to the robes of a fifth-rank courtier.