Kanji 巷 fork in road, scene, arena Related words 噂うわさ 噂 is the common word for rumor or gossip in everyday conversation. 巷談 is more literary and emphasizes the idea of talk heard in the streets or among the public.
風ふう 聞ぶん 風聞 also means rumor, but often implies something heard through the grapevine or by chance. 巷談 focuses more on the public, street-level nature of the talk.
Etymology Compound of 巷 (chimata, 'street, public') and 談 (dan, 'talk, conversation'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used in literary Japanese to refer to rumors or gossip circulating among the common people.
Report an issue with this page
Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
