猿えん猴こう

noun

monkey; gibbon

Refers to monkeys, especially gibbons. A somewhat literary or formal term; in everyday speech 猿 (さる) is more common.

• 猿えん猴こうが木きから木きへと飛とび移うつる。

  The gibbon leaps from tree to tree.

noun

puppeteer's hand

In traditional puppet theatre (人形浄瑠璃), the visible hand of the puppeteer manipulating the puppet. A specialized term.

See also: 人形浄瑠璃

• 人にん形ぎょう浄じょう瑠る璃りでは、猿えん猴こうと呼よばれる手て遣づかいが人にん形ぎょうを操あやつる。

  In ningyō jōruri, the puppeteer's hand, called enkō, manipulates the puppet.

noun

kappa

Alternate name for the mythical water creature 河童 (kappa). Rare and literary.

See also: 河童

• 古ふるい文ぶん献けんでは、河童かっぱのことを猿えん猴こうと記しるす例れいがある。

  In old documents, there are examples where kappa is written as 猿猴.

noun

menstruation

Archaic euphemism for menstrual period. Not used in modern Japanese.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいの文ぶん献けんに、月げっ経けいを猿えん猴こうと婉えん曲きょくに表ひょう現げんした例れいが見みられる。

  In Edo-period texts, there are instances where menstruation is euphemistically referred to as enkō.