大己貴神おおなむちのかみ

Meanings

noun

Okuninushi; deity of magic and medicine

A major Shinto deity, also known as 大国主命 (Ōkuninushi no Mikoto). Later syncretized with Daikokuten (大黒天) and enshrined at Izumo Grand Shrine.

Written forms

大己貴神
- おおなむちのかみ
  Standard kanji spelling for this deity name.
- おおあなむちのかみ
大穴牟遅神
- おおなむちのかみ
  Alternate historical spelling; also read おおあなむちのかみ.
- おおあなむちのかみ
大汝神おおなむちのかみ
Less common variant spelling.
おおあなむちのかみ

Kanji

大large, big
己self
貴precious, value, prize
神gods, mind, soul
穴hole, aperture, slit
牟pupil (eye), moo (cow sound)
遅slow, late, back
汝you, thou

Similar words

大国主命おおくにぬしのみこと
More common name for the same deity; 大己貴神 is an alternate name used in classical texts.
大だい黒こく天てん
Buddhist deity later identified with Ōkuninushi; 大己貴神 is the Shinto original.

Etymology

The name 大己貴神 (Ōnamuchi no Kami) is of ancient Japanese origin, appearing in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it is associated with the deity Ōkuninushi.