銃つつ

Written forms

• 銃つつ

  Archaic kanji form for 'gun'; now normally read じゅう. The reading つつ is historical.

• 砲つつ

  Alternate archaic kanji, originally referring to cannon or artillery pieces.

Etymology

The native word つつ originally meant a tube or hollow cylinder and was extended to tubular firearms; 銃 is a later meaning-based spelling.