# 独楽
## Japanese
### Etymology 1

Kanji in this term :
| 独 | 楽 |
| こま ||
| Grade: 5 | Grade: 2 |
| jukujikun ||
* Alternative spelling
* 獨樂 (kyūjitai)
Appears to be a shortening of older reading komatsukuri or komatsuburi (see below).
The shorter form koma is now the most common reading. The kanji spelling is an example of jukujikun (熟字訓).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) こま [kóꜜmà] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [ko̞ma̠]

#### Noun

独楽(こま) • (koma)
* a spinning top
* (by extension) a rigid object that can rotate freely around a fixed point
* a 家(か)紋(もん) (kamon, “family crest”) in the form or shape of a spinning top
* a hexagonal or octagonal top, decorated with images and/or writing, used for gambling
    Synonym: 御花独楽 (ohanagoma)

##### Derived terms

* 独楽(こま)塗(ぬり), 独楽塗(こまぬ)り (komanuri)
* 独楽(コマ)鼠(ネズミ) (komanezumi)
* 独楽(こま)回(まわ)し (koma-mawashi)
* 唸(うな)り独楽(ごま) (unarigoma)
* 曲(きょく)独楽(ごま) (kyokugoma)
* 源水(げんすい)独楽(ごま) (Gensui-goma)
* ごんごん独楽(ごま) (gongon-goma)
* 杯(さかずき)独楽(ごま) (sakazuki-goma)
* 銭(ぜに)独楽(ごま) (zenigoma)
* 叩(たた)き独楽(ごま) (tatakigoma)
* 唐(とう)独楽(ごま) (tōgoma)
* 貝(ばい)独楽(ごま), 海蠃(ばい)独楽(ごま) (baigoma), 貝(べい)独楽(ごま) (beigoma)
* 花(はな)独楽(ごま) (hanagoma)
* 不精(ぶしょう)独楽(ごま), 無精(ぶしょう)独楽(ごま) (bushō-goma)

### Etymology 2

Kanji in this term :
| 独 | 楽 |
| こまつぶり ||
| Grade: 5 | Grade: 2 |
| jukujikun ||
* Alternative spelling
* 獨樂 (kyūjitai)
Older form of koma above.
Compound of 高麗(こま) (Koma, “Goryeo; Korea; foreign lands”) + つぶり (tsuburi, “round thing”, cognate with 円(つぶ)ら (tsubura, “round”)).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ko̞ma̠t͡sɨbɯ̟ɾʲi]

#### Noun

独楽(こまつぶり) • (komatsuburi)
* (archaic, possibly obsolete) Same as こま (koma) above

### Etymology 3

Kanji in this term :
| 独 | 楽 |
| こまつくり ||
| Grade: 5 | Grade: 2 |
| jukujikun ||
* Alternative spelling
* 獨樂 (kyūjitai)
Additional older form of koma above, attested in the Wamyō Ruijushō (938 CE).
Compound of 高麗(こま) (Koma, “Goryeo; Korea; foreign lands”) + 作(つく)り (tsukuri, “making; made thing”, the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 作(つく)る (tsukuru, “to make”)).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ko̞ma̠t͡sɨkɯ̟ɾʲi]

#### Noun

独楽(こまつくり) • (komatsukuri)
* (archaic, possibly obsolete) Same as こま (koma) above

### Etymology 4

Kanji in this term :
| 独 | 楽 |
| つむくり ||
| Grade: 5 | Grade: 2 |
| jukujikun ||
* Alternative spelling
* 獨樂 (kyūjitai)
Ancient alternative to koma above. Probably from 紡錘(つむ) (tsumu, “a spindle”, root of the verb 紡(つむ)ぐ (tsumugu, “to spin thread or yarn”)) + 繰(く)り (kuri, “winding”, the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 繰(く)る (kuru, “to wind something onto something else”)).
Occasionally also encountered with rendaku as tsumuguri.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [t͡sɨmɯ̟kɯ̟ɾʲi]

#### Noun

独楽(つむくり) • (tsumukuri)
* (archaic, possibly obsolete) Same as こま (koma) above

### Etymology 5

Kanji in this term :
| 独 | 楽 |
| どく Grade: 5 | らく Grade: 2 |
| goon ||
* Alternative spelling
* 獨樂 (kyūjitai)
From Middle Chinese 獨樂 (MC duwk lak).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) どくらく [dòkúrákú] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [do̞kɯ̟ɾa̠kɯ̟]

#### Adjective

独(どく)楽(らく) • (dokuraku)
* fun or entertaining for one person alone

##### Usage notes

Used attributively with the particle の (no).

#### Noun

独(どく)楽(らく) • (dokuraku)
* something fun or entertaining for one person alone
* (uncommon) Same as こま (koma) above

### References

* 1 2 3 4 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* 1 2 3 4 5 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* ↑ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN