おこぼ

Japanese

おこぼ (okobo): special platform geta worn by maiko.

Etymology

Shift from こぼこぼ (kobokobo), a 女房詞 (nyōbo kotoba, “woman's word”) for 木履 (bokuri, “platform geta”).

こぼこぼ (kobokobo) may be an onomatopoeia imitative of the sound made when walking in okobo. こぼこぼ (kobokobo) in reference to footwear is first recorded in 1944, but likely has a deeper history.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [o̞ko̞bo̞]

Noun

おこぼ • (okobo) 

1. (chiefly Kansai) a specific kind of platform geta (wooden clog sandal) worn by maiko (apprentice geisha) during their apprenticeship, with a straight vertical heel and an angled toe (see the image), often lacquered in either black or red

   Synonyms: 木履 (bokuri, pokkuri, bokkuri), こっぽり (koppori)

Further reading

• こぼこぼ page at Kotobank (in Japanese)
• “おこぼ” in Weblio Dictionary.
• Kansai dialect entry for おこぼ at Nihon Jiten (in Japanese)
• Kyōto dialect entry for おこぼ at Nihon Jiten (in Japanese)