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非命 (ひめい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

非ひ命めい

ひ

め

い

Meanings

1

noun

unnatural death; untimely death

Refers to a death that is not natural, such as from accident, murder, or disaster. Often used in formal or literary contexts.

彼かれは非ひ命めいの死しを遂とげた。
He met an untimely death.

Kanji

非un-, mistake, negative
命fate, command, decree

Similar words

変へん死し
変死 refers to an unnatural death in a more general or investigative sense, while 非命 emphasizes the untimeliness or tragedy of the death.
横おう死し
横死 specifically means a violent or accidental death, often implying a sudden or unexpected end, similar to 非命 but with a stronger nuance of violence.

Etymology

Composed of 非 (hi, 'not' or 'un-') and 命 (mei, 'life' or 'fate'), literally meaning 'not a natural life span'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used in classical and modern Japanese to describe deaths that are not due to natural causes.