# 巫女
## Chinese

* 巫女

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): wūnǚ
    (Zhuyin): ㄨ ㄋㄩˇ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): mou$^4$ neoi$^5$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: wūnǚ
*** Zhuyin: ㄨ ㄋㄩˇ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: wunyǔ
*** Wade–Giles: wu$^1$-nü$^3$
*** Yale: wū-nyǔ
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: uneu
*** Palladius: унюй (unjuj)
*** Sinological IPA : /u⁵⁵ ny²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: mou$^4$ neoi$^5$
*** Yale: mòuh néuih
*** Cantonese Pinyin: mou$^4$ noey$^5$
*** Guangdong Romanization: mou$^4$ nêu$^5$
*** Sinological IPA : /mou̯²¹ nɵy̯¹³/

### Noun

巫女
* Japanese female shaman; shrine maiden; miko

## Japanese
### Etymology 1

Kanji in this term :
| 巫 | 女 |
| Jinmeiyō | Grade: 1 |
| irregular ||
* Alternative spellings
* 神子 神巫 覡 巫
From Old Japanese. Originally a compound of 神(み) (mi, “spirit, god”) + 子(こ) (ko, “child”), as suggested by the alternative spelling 神子.
Formerly spelled as 巫 on its own. The modern kanji spelling 巫女 appears to be jukujikun (熟字訓).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) みこ [míꜜkò] (Atamadaka –)
* (Tokyo) みこ [mìkó] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [mʲiko̞]

#### Noun

巫女(みこ) • (miko)
* An unmarried woman who serves at a Shintō shrine, helping to receive visitors and performing 神楽 (kagura) dances at ceremonies, among other responsibilities. A shrine maid.
* An unmarried woman who serves a deity as a medium to convey oracles.
** 2017 April 15, “星(せい)杯(はい)を戴(いただ)く巫(み)女(こ) [Priestess Who Drinks from the Star Chalice]”, in Code(コード) of(オブ) the(ザ) Duelist(デュエリスト), Konami:
    星(せい)神(しん)に鎮(ちん)魂(こん)の祈(いの)りを捧(ささ)げる巫女(みこ)。
       Seishin ni chinkon no inori o sasageru miko.
       A priestess who offers soul-reposing prayers to the Star God.

##### Usage notes

Using the alternative spelling 神子, a miko could be of either gender, but unmarried young women are by far the most common.

##### Synonyms

* (shrine dancer):
** 舞(まい)姫(ひめ) (maihime)
** 御(み)神(かん)子(こ) (mikanko)
** 巫(いち)子(こ) (ichiko), 巫(いた)子(こ) (itako)
** 神(かぐ)楽(ら)女(め) (kagurame)
* (oracle):
** 巫(かんなぎ) (kannagi), 覡(かんなぎ) (kannagi)
** 巫(いち)子(こ) (ichiko), 巫(いた)子(こ) (itako)
** 口(くち)寄(よ)せ (kuchiyose)

##### Derived terms

* 歩(ある)き巫女(みこ) (aruki miko): a wandering miko
* 巫女(みこ)兵(へい) (miko hei): a warrior priestess (fantasy)
* 黒(くろ)巫女(みこ) (kuro miko): a dark priestess (fantasy)
* 口(くち)寄(よせ)巫女(みこ) (kuchiyose miko): a miko acting as a medium

### Etymology 2

Kanji in this term :
| 巫 | 女 |
| ふ Jinmeiyō | じょ Grade: 1 |
| on'yomi ||
From Middle Chinese compound 巫女 (mju? nrjo$^X$, literally “shaman + woman”). Compare modern Mandarin reading wūnǚ.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) ふじょ [fúꜜjò] (Atamadaka –)
* IPA: [ɸɯ̟ʑo̞]

#### Noun

巫(ふ)女(じょ) • (fujo)
* An unmarried woman who serves a deity as a medium to convey oracles.

##### Synonyms

* 巫(かんなぎ) (kannagi), 覡(かんなぎ) (kannagi)
* 巫(いち)子(こ) (ichiko), 巫(いた)子(こ) (itako)
* 口(くち)寄(よ)せ (kuchiyose)

### References

* 1 2 3 4 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

## Korean

Hanja in this term :
| 巫 | 女 |

### Noun

巫女 • (munyeo) (hangeul 무녀)
* hanja form of 무녀 (“Korean priestess; Japanese shrine maiden”)