[For Seniors] Where Do You Break It? Liven Things Up with a Fun Word-Splitting Quiz

Kiyohara no Sosei and Sei Shonagon

It is correct to read “Sei Shōnagon” by dividing it into two parts: “Sei” and “Shōnagon.” “Sei” is her father’s surname, and she was referred to together with the court title “Shōnagon,” an official rank at the time. Sei Shōnagon was a female writer of the Heian period, known for authoring The Pillow Book. Since an incorrect division can lead to a completely different meaning, it is very important to know the correct way to divide historically significant names like this.

Dragon Gate

"Tōryūmon" (登竜門) should correctly be divided into "tō" (登) and "ryūmon" (竜門), as "登・竜門." Its origin comes from a Chinese legend about the Dragon Gate (Ryūmon), a rapid on the Yellow River: a carp that manages to swim up through it becomes a dragon. From this, the term came to be used to mean that after overcoming a difficult barrier, success or advancement awaits. Separating it as "tōryū" and "mon," or breaking all the characters apart, is incorrect.

helicopter

The word “ヘリコプター” (helicopter) comes from the English “helicopter.” “Helico” means “spiral” or “helical,” and “pter” refers to “wing.” Therefore, the correct division is “helico-pter.”

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia, and its name comes from Malay. “Kuala” means the confluence of rivers, and “lumpur” means mud. Together, they mean “muddy confluence.” Therefore, the correct division is “Kuala” and “Lumpur,” and the proper form is “Kuala Lumpur.” By breaking down place names like this, we can better understand their meanings and origins.

Ka-mehameha

The word “Kamehameha” is interpreted as being made up of “Ka” (a shout used when gathering spirit/energy) and “Mehameha” (the name of the first king of the Kingdom of Hawaii). The Dragon Ball special move “Kamehameha” might at first seem like it should be split into “Kame” and “Hameha,” but its origin is actually “Ka” and “Mehameha.” There’s even a story that the original author, Akira Toriyama, came up with this split by chance.

vetch (Vicia sativa subsp. nigra) / black pea (common name: Karasu-no-endou)

The common vetch is a legume you can spot along roadsides in spring. The name actually comes from two words: “karasu” and “no-endo.” “No-endo” refers to peas that grow wild in fields, and “karasu” is used to mean “smaller than usual” or “mixed/variegated.” In other words, the correct segmentation is “karasu-no-endo.”

Kilimanjaro

“Kilimanjaro” is the name of the highest mountain on the African continent. The word originates from Swahili, where “kilima” means “mountain” and “njaro” means “shining.” Therefore, the correct segmentation is “Kilima Njaro.” In Japanese it is often written together as “Kilimanjaro,” but the name originally comes from a combination of two words.