お父さん
Japanese edit
Kanji in this term |
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父 |
とう Grade: 2 |
kun’yomi |
Alternative spelling |
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御父さん |
Etymology edit
Originally a compound of 御 (o-, “honorific prefix”) + 父 (toto, “father”) + 様 (-sama, “honorific suffix”).[1][2]
/ototosama/ → /otottsan/ → /otossan/
The /otossan/ → /otoosan/ progression was artificial; regular Japanese sound changes generally would not allow this shift. The /otoosan/ form first appears in the early Meiji period in educational materials mandated by the 文部省 (Monbushō, “Ministry of Education”).[1][2]
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
Usage notes edit
This term is used to describe someone's father. For father in the more general sense of male parent, use the term 父親 (chichioya) instead.