外法箱

Japanese

Kanji in this term
外	法	箱
げ Grade: 2	ほう Grade: 4	はこ > ばこ Grade: 3
goon	on'yomi	kun'yomi

Etymology

Compound of 外法 (gehō, “non-Buddhist ways”, in reference to various traditions centering on tengu and witchcraft) +‎ 箱 (hako, “box, casket, case”).^[1]^[2] The hako changes to bako as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ɡe̞ho̞ːba̠ko̞]

Noun

外(げ)法(ほう)箱(ばこ) • (gehōbako) ^{←げほふばこ (gefofubako)^?}

a supernatural 'box' for containing paraphernalia for witchcraft and divination, such as dolls and animal and human skulls, used by 歩き巫女 (aruki miko, “itinerant miko”) for spirit channeling and related activities

References

^ “外法箱”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
^ “外法”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎^[2] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months

[KDJ2-1] “外法箱”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006

[DDJS-2] “外法”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎^[2] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months

[1]

[2]