noun
Historical term for a one-tenth tax or offering, especially in religious contexts. Rare in modern Japanese; usually encountered in discussions of history or religion.
中世ヨーロッパでは、農民は教会に什一を納めていた。
In medieval Europe, peasants paid a tithe to the church.
Kana spelling is more common in modern contexts when the term is used.
From Chinese 什一 (shíyī), literally 'one in ten', referring to a tenth part. The exact historical derivation into Japanese is uncertain.