also: じゅってつ
ten great disciples
Refers to a canonical group of ten outstanding disciples of a master, especially in Confucianism (e.g., the Ten Disciples of Confucius) or in the context of haiku (e.g., the Ten Disciples of Bashō). Used in historical and literary contexts.
The Ten Disciples of Confucius are divided into the four categories of virtue, speech, government, and literature.
Bashō's Ten Disciples include Kyorai and Jōsō.
Standard kanji form; the reading じってつ is the regular pronunciation.
Irregular kana reading; less common but encountered in some contexts.
From 十 (ten) + 哲 (sage, wise person). The term originates from the Confucian tradition, where it referred to the ten principal disciples of Confucius, and was later adopted in other contexts such as haiku.