also: かん
noun, used as a prefix
divine; godly
Prefix used in classical or Shinto-related compounds to mean 'divine' or 'of the gods'. Not freely productive in modern Japanese; seen in words like 神主 (かんぬし) and 神風 (かむかぜ).
See also: 神主 (かんぬし)
「神主」の「神」は「かん」と読み、神に仕える人を指す。
The 神 in 神主 is read かん and refers to a person who serves the gods.
古語では「かむながら」のように「神」を「かむ」と読む例がある。
In classical Japanese, there are examples like かむながら where 神 is read かむ.
The common standalone noun meaning 'god' or 'deity', read かみ. The prefix 神 (かむ/かん) is a bound form used in compounds.
The prefix 神 (かむ/かん) is an older bound form of 神 (かみ), used in classical compounds. The reading かむ is the older form, while かん is a later contracted reading.