喉

throat; singing voice

Kanji 2007

Read about how the Japanese see the throat as instrumental in holding back harsh words and unpleasant emotions. Find out what it means figuratively to swallow food that's too hot and then to forget that discomfort. See which udon comes from Shikoku, learn why people in Japan talk about the uvula, and discover which body part looks like Buddha sitting in contemplation.

Revision history:

Aug. 23, 2024: 

• p. 5: Added a sidebar with a new keyword, 喉を鳴らす (のどをならす: (1) to make a sound with one’s throat; (2) purr (of a cat)).
• p. 10: Added a 2nd def. to 咽喉 as well as a small bit of commentary about it.

July 21, 2023: p. 6: Slightly revised repetitive text.

May 22, 2023: p. 6: Added a comment about のどに潤い, clarifying that it is not quite the keyword I had just introduced but something similar.

Jan. 7, 2020:

• p. 2: Etymology Box: Substantially rewrote it, adding a Henshall etymology, as there was none before. Also corrected an error; the phonetic is 侯, not 候.
• p. 5: I made 喉が渇く the primary rendering, rather than 喉が乾く. That affected much of what followed on the page.
• p. 15: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.

July 29, 2016: Originally published.