奈良の都

Japanese

Kanji in this term
奈	良	都
な Grade: 4 (ateji)	ら Grade: 4 (ateji)	みやこ Grade: 3
goon	nanori	kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
奈良の都 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

Literally the “Nara capital”.

Noun

奈(な)良(ら)の都(みやこ) • (Nara no miyako) 

1. (historical, archaic) Synonym of 平城京 (Heijō-kyō): the capital of ancient Japan during most of the Nara period
   • c. 1151, Shika Wakashū (book 1, poem 29; also Hyakunin Isshu, poem 61)

     いにしへの奈(な)良(ら)の都(みやこ)の八(や)重(へ)桜(ざくら)けふ九(ここの)重(へ)ににほひぬるかな

     inishie no Nara no miyako no yaezakura kyō kokonoe ni nioinuru kana

     The eightfold cherries in the old capital at Nara do bloom today in ninefold splendor.

Old Japanese

Etymology

Literally the “Nara capital”.

Noun

奈良の都 (Nara no₂ mi₁yako₁)

1. the capital of ancient Japan during most of the Nara period
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 5, poem 808:

     多都乃麻乎安禮波毛等米牟阿遠爾與志奈良乃美夜古邇許牟比等乃多仁

     tatuno₂ma wo are pa moto₂me₂mu awoni yo₂si Nara no₂ mi₁yako₁ ni ko₂mu pi₁to₂ no₂ ta ni

     I would find a dragon horse, for the sake of one coming to the blue-green soiled capital of Nara.

Descendants

• Japanese: 奈良の都 (Nara no miyako)