noun
southwest
Archaic term for the southwest direction, derived from the combination of the zodiac signs 未 (sheep) and 申 (monkey). Used in classical contexts, such as old calendars, fortune-telling, or historical texts.
古い地図には、方角を未申と記しているものがある。
Some old maps indicate the direction as 未申.
Modern standard word for southwest; 未申 is an archaic synonym used mainly in historical or divinatory contexts.
Compound of 未 (ひつじ, the Sheep, associated with south-southwest) and 申 (さる, the Monkey, associated with west-southwest), together indicating the southwest direction. The reading ひつじさる is a straightforward combination of the two zodiac animal names.