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凶類 (きょうるい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

凶きょう類るい

Meanings

1

noun

wicked gang; band of villains

archaic

Archaic term for a group of evil or lawless people. Not used in modern Japanese; encountered only in historical texts or classical literature.

古こ文ぶん書しょには「凶きょう類るいが村むらを襲おそった」と記しるされている。
An old document records that 'a wicked gang attacked the village'.

Written forms

凶きょう類るい
Archaic kanji form for 'wicked gang'. The character 凶 means 'evil' or 'bad luck'.
兇きょう類るい
Variant kanji form using 兇, an older character for 'wickedness' or 'villainy'.

Kanji

凶villain, evil, bad luck
類sort, kind, variety
兇

wickedness

Similar words

悪あく党とう
Modern term for 'villain' or 'scoundrel', used for individuals rather than groups. 凶類 is archaic and collective.
賊ぞく
Common word for 'thief' or 'bandit', often used in compounds. 凶類 carries a stronger moral condemnation and is obsolete.

Etymology

Compound of 凶 (evil, misfortune) and 類 (group, kind). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; it appears in classical Chinese-influenced Japanese texts.