also: まんにょう
noun
Man'yōshū (8th century poetry anthology)
Abbreviation of 万葉集 (Man'yōshū), the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry. Used in literary or historical contexts.
See also: 万葉集
万葉の歌を研究している。
I am studying poems from the Man'yōshū.
万葉の
The language of the Man'yōshū era is difficult.
noun
myriad leaves; eternity
Archaic literal meaning: 'ten thousand leaves' or 'myriad leaves', and by extension 'thousands of years' or 'eternity'. Not used in modern Japanese outside of classical references.
古語では「万葉」を「数多くの葉」の意味で使った。
In classical language, 万葉 was used to mean 'countless leaves'.
「万葉」には「永遠」という古い意味もある。
万葉 also has the old meaning of 'eternity'.
The full title of the anthology; 万葉 is the common abbreviation.
From 万 (ten thousand, myriad) + 葉 (leaves). The anthology title 万葉集 likely uses 葉 as a metaphor for 'ages' or 'generations', though the exact derivation is uncertain.