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雁渡し (かりわたし) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

雁かり渡わたし

Meanings

1

noun

northern wind in early autumn

rare term

A rare, poetic term for a north wind that blows when wild geese begin to migrate south in early autumn. Mostly encountered in classical literature or seasonal haiku vocabulary.

雁かり渡わたしが吹ふくと、もう秋あきも深ふかまる。
When the kariwatashi blows, autumn deepens further.

Kanji

雁wild goose
渡transit, ford, ferry

Similar words

雁かり
雁 (wild goose) is the bird whose migration is associated with this wind; 雁渡し is a compound built from 雁 + 渡し (crossing, sending across).
北きた風かぜ
北風 is the common word for 'north wind' and is used in everyday language, while 雁渡し is a rare, literary seasonal term.

Etymology

Compound of 雁 (kari, 'wild goose') and 渡し (watashi, 'crossing' or 'sending across'), referring to the wind that accompanies the geese's southward migration in early autumn. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it is a traditional seasonal word (kigo) in Japanese poetry.