堀ほり川かわ

ほ

り

か

わ

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

canal

Refers to an artificial waterway, often a historic or urban canal. The word is also a common surname and place name.

京きょう都との堀ほり川かわ通どおりは、昔むかしの堀ほり川かわに沿そって走はしっている。
Horikawa Street in Kyoto runs along the old canal.
この町まち

に

は

小ちい

さな

堀ほり

川かわ

が

いくつ

も

流なが

れ

て

いる

。

Several small canals flow through this town.

Kanji

堀ditch, moat, canal
川stream, river, river or three-stroke river radical (no. 47)

Similar words

運うん河が
運河 is a more general and modern term for a canal, especially a large shipping canal. 堀川 often refers to a specific named canal or a smaller, historic waterway.

Etymology

Compound of 堀 (ほり, 'moat, ditch') and 川 (かわ, 'river'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word likely originated as a descriptive term for a dug waterway.