岨そば道みち

そ

ば

み

ち

Meanings

noun

steep mountain road; dangerous mountain path

Refers to a narrow, precipitous path on a mountainside, often with a sense of danger. The reading そわみち is obsolete.

その岨そば道みちは雨あめの日ひにはとても危き険けんだ。
That steep mountain road is very dangerous on rainy days.
昔むかしの旅たび人びとは岨そば道みちを越こえて次つぎの村むらへ向むかった。
Travelers in the old days crossed the dangerous mountain path to reach the next village.

Kanji

岨a rocky mountain
道road-way, street, district
路path, route, road

Related words

山やま道みち
A general term for a mountain path, not necessarily steep or dangerous.
険けん道どう
A steep or rugged road, often used in a broader sense than 岨道.

Written forms

岨道Usage100%
- そばみち
  Standard kanji spelling for 'steep mountain road'.
- そわみち
  out-dated reading
岨路
- そばみち
  Variant kanji spelling using 路 (road).
- そわみち
  out-dated reading
そわみち
out-dated reading

Etymology

The kanji 岨 means 'steep' or 'precipitous', and 道 means 'road' or 'path'. The reading そば is a native Japanese word for 'steep', combined with みち (road). The variant 岨路 uses 路 (road) instead of 道. The obsolete reading そわみち reflects an older pronunciation.