うじ

See also: うし

Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spelling
氏

From Old Japanese うぢ (udi, “clan”), from Proto-Japonic *Onti. Found in the Man'yōshū completed some time after 759 CE.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) うじ [úꜜjì] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ʑi]

Noun

うじ • (uji) ^{←うぢ (udi)?}

1. (historical) a clan
2. a family name, a surname
3. one's house, birth, lineage

Suffix

うじ • (-uji) ^{←うぢ (-udi)?}

1. (historical, honorific) a clan (added after the clan name as an honorific)

Etymology 2

Alternative spellings
蛆 蜡

From Old Japanese. Found in the Kojiki completed circa 712 CE.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) うじ [ùjíꜜ] (Odaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ʑi]

Noun

うじ or ウジ • (uji) 

1. (less common) larva, maggot

Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as ウジ.

On its own, this term may appear more in technical contexts. In everyday parlance, the term うじむし (ujimushi) may be more common.

Derived terms

• うじむし (ujimushi): maggot (more common)