also: すめら · すべ · すべら
Archaic honorific prefix attached to words related to the emperor or gods, such as 皇大神 (すめおおかみ) 'great imperial deity' or 皇御祖 (すめみおや) 'imperial ancestor'. Not used in modern Japanese outside historical or ritual contexts.
In the Kojiki, the expression 皇御祖 (imperial ancestor) can be found.
「皇」は古代において神や天皇を敬う接頭語として使われた。
皇 was used in ancient times as an honorific prefix for gods and emperors.
Archaic honorific prefix used in ancient Japanese to refer to the emperor or divine beings. The reading すめ is the most common form.
Variant reading of the same archaic prefix, seen in old texts.
Rare variant reading.
Rare variant reading.
The prefix 皇 (すめ) is of Old Japanese origin, likely related to the verb 統べる (すべる) 'to rule' or 澄む (すむ) 'to be clear/pure', but the exact derivation is uncertain. It appears in ancient texts as an honorific for the emperor and deities.