also: じょことば
foreword; preface; introduction
Only with reading じょし
General term for an introductory statement in a book or document. Reading is じょし.
The author's thoughts are written in the preface of this book.
prefatory modifying statement (in waka)
A poetic device in classical waka where an introductory phrase modifies or leads into the main statement. Often read じょことば in this context.
In waka, the prefatory modifying statement is one of the rhetorical techniques that lead into the following phrase.
Standard kanji spelling for both senses.
Rare reading used specifically for the poetic device sense.
From 序 (introductory) + 詞 (words). The reading じょことば is a kun'yomi-based reading used specifically for the classical poetic sense.