Current location:International Idiom news portal > travel
VOX POPULI: Contrary to forecasts, spring hasn’t quite sprung yet
International Idiom news portal2024-05-21 16:34:39【travel】0People 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.
Address of this article:http://uganda.majalahburung.com/content-71c599923.html
Very good!(523)
Related articles
- Amir Khan's £11.5m luxury wedding venue finally hosts its first marriage: Bride arrives on horse
- Knies scores in overtime, Matthews
- Rojas and Castellanos homer in the 9th, leading the Phillies to a 7
- USDA is testing ground beef for bird flu
- Jessica Biel CHOPS her long locks into a bob after book signing in Studio City
- Premier League & NBC Sports execs in talks to potentially hold 39th league fixture in the US
- California reservoir is filled to capacity for first time since 1998 after drought
- Kepler hits sacrifice fly in 9th inning to lift Twins to 6
- Ship that caused Baltimore bridge collapse has been refloated
- Study says El Nino, not climate change, was key driver of low rainfall that snarled Panama Canal
Popular articles
- The fightback begins: Boss of London's Queen Mary University tells pro
- Bee Game: Dodgers and Diamondbacks delayed due to bee swarm
- Biden administration details how producers of sustainable aviation fuel will get tax credits
- South Korea considers joining alliance for sharing military technology with Australia, US and UK
Recommended
Why US Catholics are planning pilgrimages in communities across the nation
OpenAI lawsuit: Eight major U.S. newspapers sue ChatGPT
Kepler hits sacrifice fly in 9th inning to lift Twins to 6
Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities
Tom Brady and Jay
Florida's 6
Has Emily finally found love? Lily Collins looks gooey
The amazing view... from the best seat on the train! Fascinating driver's
Links
- They made one
- Solar storm creates light show across the world, no serious problems reported
- Amid GOP focus on elections, Georgia Republicans remove officer found to have voted illegally
- The United Auto Workers faces a key test in the South with upcoming vote at Alabama Mercedes plant
- Mariners' top reliever Matt Brash to miss the rest of season after Tommy John surgery
- Mother's Day: New York's Rikers Island jail gets kid
- Taylor Swift is related to the longest
- Antiques Roadshow guest admits gambling wheel's true value probably 'scared his daughter to death'
- Somalia wants to terminate the UN political mission assisting peace efforts in the country
- Jermain Defoe, 41, and midriff