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念友 (ねんゆう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

念ねん友ゆう

Meanings

1

male homosexual relations; homosexual male partner

archaic

Archaic term for male homosexual relationships or a male homosexual partner. Not used in modern Japanese; encountered only in historical texts.

江え戸ど時じ代だいの文ぶん献けんに「念ねん友ゆう」という語ごが見みられる。
The word 念友 appears in documents from the Edo period.

Kanji

念wish, sense, idea
友friend

Etymology

The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 念 (thought, sense) and 友 (friend) are conventionally associated with the meaning, but the historical origin is unclear.