東雲しののめ

し

の

め

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

poetical termdated term

Poetic and dated term for the first light of dawn. Often used in classical literature and poetry; in modern Japanese, 夜明け or 明け方 are more common.

東雲しののめの空そらが美うつくしい。
The sky at daybreak is beautiful.
彼かれは東雲しののめの頃ころに起おきて散さん歩ぽに出でかけた。
He got up around dawn and went for a walk.

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Kanji

東east
雲cloud

Related words

夜よ明あけ
Standard modern word for dawn or daybreak; 東雲 is a more poetic and dated alternative.
明あけ方がた
Common word for the time around dawn; 東雲 carries a stronger literary or classical nuance.

Word family

東雲しののめ色いろ
salmon pink; daybreak color
シノノメサカタザメ
bowmouth guitarfish; shark ray; mud skate

Written forms

Applies to each form listed below

gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun

東雲しののめUsage92%
Standard kanji spelling; the reading しののめ is a jukujikun (special kanji reading).
しののめUsage8%
Kana spelling is sometimes used, especially in modern or casual contexts, but the kanji form is more traditional.

Etymology

The reading しののめ is a jukujikun (special kanji reading) assigned to the kanji 東雲, which literally mean 'east cloud'. The exact origin of the reading is uncertain, but it is traditionally associated with the faint light appearing in the eastern sky before sunrise.