noun
Archaic noun for a thin, flexible branch or twig, often used as a switch for punishment or as a scion in grafting. Not used in modern everyday Japanese.
古い文献では、しもとで打つ刑罰が記されている。
In old documents, punishment by beating with a switch is recorded.
「しもと」は、今ではほとんど使われない古語である。
"Shimoto" is an archaic word that is hardly used today.
The exact derivation is uncertain. The word is native Japanese and appears in classical texts. The kanji 細枝 literally means 'thin branch', while 葼 and 楉 are obscure characters associated with this meaning.