間ま歩ぶ

also: かんぽ

Meanings

noun

mining tunnel; gallery; level; shaft; pit

Specialized mining term for an underground passage or excavation. Cross-referenced with 坑道.

Kanji

間interval, space
歩walk, counter for steps
分part, minute of time, segment
府borough, urban prefecture, govt office

Related words

坑こう道どう
坑道 is the general term for a mine tunnel or gallery. 間歩 is a more specific, traditional term often used for older or smaller mining passages.

Built from

間ま+歩ふ

Written forms

間歩Usage100%
- まぶ
  Standard kanji form for the reading まぶ, used in mining contexts.
- かんぽ
  Alternate reading かんぽ, less common; Restricted this reading to the 間歩 spelling.
間ま分ぶ
Variant kanji form, rarely used.
間ま府ぶ
Variant kanji form, rarely used.
かんぽ

Etymology

The derivation is uncertain. The kanji 間 (interval, space) and 歩 (walk, step) may relate to the idea of a passage or step-like excavation, but this is speculative.