# 神楽
## Japanese
### Etymology 1

Kanji in this term :
| 神 | 楽 |
| かむくら > かぐら ||
| Grade: 3 | Grade: 2 |
| jukujikun ||
* Alternative spelling
* 神樂 (kyūjitai)
/kamu kura/ → /kankura/ → /kaŋɡura/ → /kaɡura/
From Old Japanese.
Originally a compound of 神 (kamu, “spirit, god”, combining form) +‎ 座 (kura, “seat”). The kura changes to gura as an instance of rendaku (連濁).
The original compound referred to the place used to call down the 神 (kami, “spirits and gods”) to earth, when a 巫女 (miko, “shrine maiden”) would act as a medium for the kami. Over time, the term came to refer to the music and dance of the ceremony. The use of the 楽 character here is an example of jukujikun (熟字訓), reflecting the change in meaning.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) かぐら [káꜜgùrà] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [ka̠ɡɯ̟ɾa̠]

#### Noun

神楽(かぐら) • (kagura)
* (Shinto) sacred dancing and music performed at Shintō ceremonies, often by miko, to honor Shintō spirits and gods
    Synonym: 神遊び (kamiasobi)
* bugaku (a type of traditional dancing and music) performed by regular people in front of a Shintō shrine
    Synonyms: 里神楽 (sato kagura), 太太神楽 (daidai kagura)
* a type of Noh dancing and music
* a type of kabuki musical accompaniment
* Short for 御神楽 (o-kagura): a flat-topped house initially built with one storey, with additional storeys added later

##### Derived terms

* 神楽(かぐら)歌(うた) (kagura uta, “kagura song”)
* 神楽(かぐら)諷(うた)雲(くも)井(いの)曲(きょく)毬(まり) (Kagura Uta Kumoi no Kyokumari): the title of a kabuki play, roughly "Kagura Uta: Juggling to Entertain the Gods"
* 神楽(かぐら)男(お) (kagurao), 神楽(かぐら)男(おとこ) (kagura otoko, “man who performs kagura”)
* 神楽(かぐら)岡(おか) (Kagura Oka): Kagura Hill, a place in Kyōto, also known as Yamada Yama (Yamada Mountain) and site of Yamada Jinja (Yamada Shrine)
* 神楽(かぐら)月(づき) (kagurazuki): alternate name for the eleventh lunar month
* 神楽(かぐら)坂(ざか) (Kagurazaka): a place in the east of Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo
* 神楽(かぐら)笹(ざさ) (kagurazasa): alternate name of 阿亀笹 (okamezasa, “Shibataea kumasaca, a species of short leafy bamboo”), or 唐竹蘭 (tōchikuran, “a species of fairy bell, Disporum cantoniense”)
* 神楽(かぐら)桟(ざめ), 神楽(かぐら)鮫(ざめ) (kagurazame): the bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus
* 神楽(かぐら)山(さん) (kagurasan): alternate name for a 轆轤 (rokuro, “windlass”)
* 神楽(かぐら)師(し) (kagurashi, “professional kagura performer”)
* 神楽(かぐら)獅子(じし) (kagura-jishi): a lion dance performed as kagura; a pleasure quarter or red-light district euphemism for hairiness
* 神楽(かぐら)舎(しゃ) (kagurasha): the roofed stage at a shrine or imperial palace for performing kagura
* 神楽(かぐら)少女(おとめ) (kagura otome): alternate for 神楽巫女: a woman, generally unmarried, who performs kagura
* 神楽(かぐら)女(め) (kagurame): alternate for 神楽巫女: a woman, generally unmarried, who performs kagura
* 神楽(かぐら)巫女(みこ), 神楽(かぐら)神子(みこ) (kagura miko): a woman, generally unmarried, who performs kagura
* 神楽(かぐら)銭(せん) (kagurasen, “money received in thanks for a kagura performance”)
* 神楽(カグラ)草(ソウ) (kagurasō): alternate name for 狐の孫 (kitsune no mago, “Justicia procumbens, also known as water willow”)
* 神楽(かぐら)太鼓(だいこ) (kagura-daiko, “large taiko drum used in kagura performances”)
* 神楽(かぐら)笛(ぶえ) (kagurabue, “flute used in kagura performances”)
* 神楽(かぐら)殿(でん) (kaguraden, “building used for kagura performances”)
* 神楽(かぐら)堂(どう) (kaguradō, “building used for kagura performances”)
* 神楽(かぐら)姫(びめ) (kagura-bime): alternate for 神楽巫女: a woman, generally unmarried, who performs kagura
* 神楽(かぐら)面(おもて) (kagura omote, “kagura performer”)
* 神楽(かぐら)面(めん) (kagura men, “kagura mask”)
* 神楽(かぐら)鈴(すず) (kagura suzu, “bell used for kagura performances”)
* 神楽(かぐら)和琴(わごん)秘譜(ひふ) (Kagura Wagon Hifu): the title of a piece of kagura music
* 鶯神楽(ウグイスカグラ) (uguisukagura): Lonicera gracilipes var. glabra

#### Proper noun

神楽(かぐら) • (Kagura)
* a place name
* a surname
* a female given name

### Etymology 2

Kanji in this term :
| 神 | 楽 |
| かみ Grade: 3 | がく Grade: 2 |
| yutōyomi ||
* Alternative spelling
* 神樂 (kyūjitai)
Compound of 神 (kami, “spirit, god”) +‎ 楽 (gaku, “music”).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ka̠mʲiɡa̠kɯ̟]

#### Noun

神(かみ)楽(がく) • (kamigaku)
* (rare) a type of dance in a Noh play, performed by the leading 翁 (okina, “old man”) character

### Etymology 3

Kanji in this term :
| 神 | 楽 |
| じん Grade: 3 | らく Grade: 2 |
| on'yomi ||
* Alternative spelling
* 神樂 (kyūjitai)
Probably from Middle Chinese 神樂 (MC zyin lak, literally “god, spirit + happy”).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [d͡ʑĩn̺ɾa̠kɯ̟]

#### Proper noun

神(じん)楽(らく) • (Jinraku)
* a place name
* a surname

### Etymology 4

Kanji in this term :
| 神 | 楽 |
| かむ > か Grade: 3 | らき Grade: 2 |
| irregular ||
* Alternative spelling
* 神樂 (kyūjitai)
Unknown.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ka̠ɾa̠kʲi]

#### Proper noun

神(か)楽(らき) • (Karaki)
* a surname

### References

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