ぐすく

Japanese

Etymology

Unclear. The initial gu may be cognate with 御 (go, “honorific”), but it is problematic in that the only honorary prefixes found in Omoro Sōshi are 御 (mi) and 御 (o). Suku may be related to しけ (shike, “a holy place”) or cognate with 塞 (soko, “fortress”). While written with the kanji for "castle", textual and cultural evidence suggests that the initial primary meaning was a holy place.

Noun

ぐすく • (gusuku) 

1. a place of worship
2. 城: castle

References

• Hokama, Shuzen with Nobutsuna Saigō (1972) [c. 1531-1623] Nihon Shisō Taikai 18: Omoro Sōshi (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten