皇すめ

also: すめら · すべ · すべら

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

archaichonorific or respectful (sonkeigo)

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.

古こ事じ記きには「皇すめ御み祖おや」という表ひょう現げんが見みられる。
In the Kojiki, the expression 皇御祖 (imperial ancestor) can be found.
「皇すめ」は古こ代だいにおいて神かみや天皇てんのうを敬うやまう接せっ頭とう語ごとして使つかわれた。
皇 was used in ancient times as an honorific prefix for gods and emperors.

See all 12 example sentences ›

Kanji

皇emperor

Related words

御み
御 (み) is a broader archaic honorific prefix usable for gods, emperors, or general respectful contexts, while 皇 (すめ) is narrowly tied to imperial or divine majesty.

Word family

天孫すめみま
grandchild of Amaterasu; Ninigi no Mikoto · descendant of Amaterasu; imperial lineage; emperor

Written forms

皇Usage100%
- すめ
  Archaic honorific prefix used in ancient Japanese to refer to the emperor or divine beings. The reading すめ is the most common form.
- すめら
  Variant reading of the same archaic prefix, seen in old texts.
- すべ
  Rare variant reading.
- すべら
  Rare variant reading.
すべ
すべら
すめら

Etymology

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.