noun
woven straw mat
A traditional mat woven from straw, originally made from wild rice leaves. Used for wrapping, covering, or sitting.
昔の人は薦を敷いて座っていた。
People in the old days sat on woven straw mats.
noun
Abbreviation of 薦被り (こもかぶり), literally 'one who wears a straw mat', an old term for a beggar. Rare and historical.
See also: 薦被り
「薦」は、かつて薦被りという言葉から乞食を指した。
The word 薦 once referred to beggars, derived from the term 薦被り.
noun
Manchurian wild rice
Only when written 菰
Archaic name for the plant Zizania latifolia, now usually called 真菰 (まこも).
See also: 真菰
古くは「菰」と書いて、まこものことを指した。
In the past, the kanji 菰 was used to refer to Manchurian wild rice.
The word originally referred to a mat woven from wild rice leaves. The beggar sense is an abbreviation of 薦被り, and the plant sense is an archaic use now replaced by 真菰.