甲乙

Japanese

/kapʉ otʉ/ → /kaɸuot͡su/ → /kauot͡su/ → /kɔːot͡su/ → /koːot͡su/

Compound of 甲 (kō, “first”) +‎ 乙 (otsu, “second”), with the orderings based on the ancient Chinese Heavenly Stems.^[1]^[2]

First cited with this reading to a portion of the 続日本紀 (Shoku Nihongi) that was completed in 757 CE.^[1]

甲(こう)乙(おつ) • (kōotsu) ^{←かふおつ (kafuotu)^?}

[from 1387] the first and second; grade A and B
[from 1012] the first two of the Heavenly Stems, 甲 (kinoe) and 乙 (kinoto)
[from 1167] the pros and cons of something, the ups and downs, the strengths and weaknesses
[from 833] used when talking about any two unspecified things: A and B

甲(こう)乙(おつ) • (Kōotsu) ^{←かふおつ (Kafuotu)^?}

[from 757] (rare) short for 甲乙経 (Kōotsu Kyō), a medical text from the Jin dynasty of ancient China

Shift in reading of kōotsu, using the 慣用音 (kan'yōon, “customary reading”) of kan for the 甲 character.

First cited with this reading in a text from roughly 1423.^[1]

甲(かん)乙(おつ) • (kan'otsu)

[from circa 1423] (traditional Japanese music) the high notes and low notes, the highs and lows of a piece of music
Synonym: かりめり (karimeri)

For pronunciation and definitions of 甲乙 – see the following entry: かりめり

(The following entry is uncreated: かりめり.)

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN