蔵人

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
蔵	人
くら Grade: 6	ひと > びと Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
藏人 (kyūjitai)

Compound of 蔵(くら) (kura, “cellar, granary”) + 人(ひと) (hito, “person”). The hito changes to bito as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kɯ̟ɾa̠bʲito̞]

Noun

蔵(くら)人(びと) • (kurabito) 

1. a skilled worker in a saké brewery
   • 2023 June 21 (last accessed), “Tōji ni hitteki suru waza o motsu kuramoto no juzō kinōsha”, in Gekkeikan‎^[1]:

     杜(とう)氏(じ)のもとで酒(さけ)造(づく)りに携(たずさ)わる蔵(くら)人(びと)は10(じゅう)名(めい)ほどで、作(さ)業(ぎょう)別(べつ)に役(やく)職(しょく)が決(き)められています。

     Tōji no moto de sakezukuri ni tazusawaru kurabito wa jūmei hodo de, sagyō betsu ni yakushoku ga kimerarete-imasu.

     Working under the toji (master brewer) are about 10 kurabito working on saké production, with separate positions for different tasks.

See also

• 職人(しょくにん) (shokunin, “skilled craftsperson”)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
蔵	人
くら > くろ Grade: 6	うど Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
藏人 (kyūjitai)

Compound of 蔵(くら) (kura, “storehouse, stores”) + 人(うど) (udo, “person”). Compare 仲人 (nakōdo), from naka + udo. See further discussion at 旅人.

Noun

蔵(くろ)人(うど) • (kuroudo) 

1. (historical) [c. 8th to 12th century] the person in charge of the treasury and various warehouses of the Imperial court

   Synonym: 倉人 (kurahito)

2. (historical) [from 9th century] an attendant of the 蔵人所(くろうどどころ) (kuroudodokoro), one of the official sections of the Imperial household
3. (historical) [10th century] a lady of the second-highest rank in the Imperial court

   Synonym: 女蔵人 (nyokuroudo)

Usage notes

The sense “attendant of the Imperial household” is variously read くらんど (kurando), くらにん (kuranin), or くらひと (kurahito).