Current location:sport >>
VOX POPULI: Contrary to forecasts, spring hasn’t quite sprung yet
sport6People have gathered around
IntroductionThe Japanese word for spring, “haru,” has a really light and cheerful ring to it.But what if the wor ...
The Japanese word for spring, “haru,” has a really light and cheerful ring to it.
But what if the word were “baru” and not “haru”? The difference is almost negligible, but the image of the season we get may differ greatly between the two.
I once came across a Japanese linguistic study claiming that any word containing a syllable with the “dakuten” diacritic, or “voice mark,” gives an impression of being “heavy.”
The study also posited that the more syllables a noun contains, the “stronger” it sounds.
Perhaps that explains why “haru” sounds light and airy--the opposite of heavy and strong.
In Korean, the word for spring is pronounced “pom." This, too, gives a lighthearted and soft impression.
As for the English “spring,” it sounds--well, bouncy. No surprise: Synonyms of “spring” include “leap” and “jump.” One associates these words with a feeling of anticipation for the start of something new.
In reality, however, spring as a season is obviously not all mild and pleasant. On the contrary, the weather can be outright rough and nasty, with cold rains and gusty winds.
“March comes in like a lion, out like a lamb” is a famous British saying.
In Japan, the “higan” equinoctial week ends on March 23.
According to weather forecasts, the mild winter we had this year was supposed to be followed by an early arrival of spring. But we still need warm jackets. It is as if spring is now being sullen and mean, having taken offense at being told off, “You’re too early.”
A haiku by Fusei Tomiyasu (1885-1979) goes to the effect, “Time has passed/ For all I know/ higan is already over.”
Gazing up at cherry blossom buds that don’t seem to be opening any time soon, I murmur to myself: Come quickly, mild and warm spring.
--The Asahi Shimbun, March 23
* *
*Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“International Ink news portal”。http://croatia.brianlynch.org/content-71c599923.html
Related articles
Medics remove 150 MAGGOTS from a woman's mouth after dental procedure left her with rotting tissue
sportA team of shocked medics removed 150 maggots from a woman's mouth that had appeared after a dental p ...
【sport】
Read moreSatellite photos show US Navy ship building floating pier for Gaza aid as Israel
sportJERUSALEM (AP) — A U.S. Navy ship involved in an American-led effort to bring more aid into the besi ...
【sport】
Read moreGlobal political party media officials discuss China's modernization
sportParticipants attend the Dialogue on the International Image Innovation of the CPC (2024) and the Wor ...
【sport】
Read more
Popular articles
- Medics remove 150 MAGGOTS from a woman's mouth after dental procedure left her with rotting tissue
- Yanqing's top destinations to travel around in autumn
- Strawberry Music Festival to be held at Beijing Expo Park
- Ambitious Ivankovic aims for World Cup finals
- Tamara Ecclestone is criticised as her daughter Fifi, 10, heads out wearing heavy make
- IOC launches innovative Paris 2024 mobile game
Latest articles
Baby Reindeer's real
CBA playoffs: Liaoning sweep Shenzhen to reach semis
Wang, Lin move into ITTF World Cup knockout stage
Alonso steps away from unprecedented glory with Leverkusen
Candice Swanepoel wows in a shimmering black flared jumpsuit as she joins ab
Zhang looks to restart title bid with 'Big Bang'
LINKS
- Tunisian lawyers call for strike over arrest of their colleague amid crackdown on dissent
- Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott is running for reelection to 5th term
- Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff Sue Gray courts spies over crackdown on Moscow, Iran and China
- Ohio police officer killed in 'ambush,' suspect sought
- Canada wildfire: Thousands evacuate in British Columbia, winds push smoke into Alberta
- Eurovision 2024: Winner Nemo to be welcomed home by Swiss fans
- Taylor Wenczkowski scores in 3rd OT, Boston beats Montreal 2
- Seguin, Stankoven score two goals each to power Stars' 4
- Greta Thunberg is detained by cops as pro
- Chennai Super Kings stay in contention for IPL playoffs with 5