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草分け (くさわけ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

草くさ分わけ

く

さ

わ

け

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

pathfinder; trailblazer; early settler

Literally 'grass-splitter'; originally referred to someone who clears new land for settlement. Now used figuratively for a pioneer in any field.

彼かれはこの地ち域いきの草くさ分わけとして知しられている。
He is known as a pioneer of this area.

2

noun

pioneer; founder; originator

Emphasizes being the first to establish something, such as a field of study, a company, or a movement.

彼かの女じょは日本にほんの女じょ性せい解かい放ほう運うん動どうの草くさ分わけだ。
She is a pioneer of the women's liberation movement in Japan.

Kanji

草grass, weeds, herbs
分part, minute of time, segment

Similar words

先せん駆く者しゃ
先駆者 is a more formal and abstract term for a forerunner or precursor, while 草分け has a more concrete, earthy nuance of breaking new ground.
開かい拓たく者しゃ
開拓者 specifically refers to a settler or developer of land, whereas 草分け can be used both literally and figuratively for any kind of pioneer.

Etymology

Compound of 草 (kusa, 'grass') and 分け (wake, from 分ける 'to divide, split'). Literally 'grass-splitter', originally describing someone who clears a path through grass to open new land, later extended to any pioneer.