Editing Kanji (section)

===Special readings===
{{Nihongo|''Gikun''|[[:wikt:義訓#Japanese|義訓]]}} and {{Nihongo|''jukujikun''|[[:wikt:熟字訓#Japanese|熟字訓]]}} are readings of kanji combinations that have no direct correspondence to the characters' individual {{translit|ja|on'yomi}} or {{translit|ja|kun'yomi}}. From the point of view of the character, rather than the word, this is known as a {{Nihongo|''nankun''|[[:wikt:難訓#Japanese|難訓]]||"difficult reading"}}, and these are listed in kanji dictionaries under the entry for the character.

{{translit|ja|Gikun}} are other readings assigned to a character instead of its standard readings. An example is reading {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:寒#Japanese|寒]]}} (meaning "cold") as {{translit|ja|fuyu}} ("winter") rather than the standard readings {{translit|ja|samu}} or {{translit|ja|kan}}, and instead of the usual spelling for {{translit|ja|fuyu}} of {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:冬#Japanese|冬]]}}. Another example is using {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:煙草#Japanese|煙草]]}} ({{lit|smoke grass}}) with the reading {{translit|ja|tabako}} ("tobacco") rather than the otherwise-expected readings of {{translit|ja|*kemuri-gusa}} or {{translit|ja|*ensō}}. Some of these, such as for {{translit|ja|tabako}}, have become [[lexicalized]], but in many cases this kind of use is typically non-standard and employed in specific contexts by individual writers. Aided with {{translit|ja|[[furigana]]}}, {{translit|ja|gikun}} could be used to convey complex literary or poetic effect (especially if the readings contradict the kanji), or clarification if the referent may not be obvious.

{{translit|ja|Jukujikun}} are when the standard kanji for a word are related to the meaning, but not the sound. The word is pronounced as a whole, not corresponding to sounds of individual kanji. For example, {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:今朝#Japanese|今朝]]}} ("this morning") is {{translit|ja|jukujikun}}. This word is not read as {{translit|ja|*ima'asa}}, the expected {{translit|ja|kun'yomi}} of the characters, and only infrequently as {{translit|ja|konchō}}, the {{translit|ja|on'yomi}} of the characters. The most common reading is {{translit|ja|kesa}}, a native bisyllabic Japanese word that may be seen as a single [[morpheme]], or as a compound of {{translit|ja|ke}} (“this”, as in {{translit|ja|kefu}}, the older reading for {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:今日#Japanese|今日]]}}, “today”), and {{translit|ja|asa}}, “morning”.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 26, 2006 |title=''Gogen Yurai Jiten'' |script-title=ja:語源由来辞典 |trans-title=Etymology Derivation Dictionary |url=https://gogen-yurai.jp/kyou/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209200052/https://gogen-yurai.jp/kyou/ |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |access-date=2022-02-09 |publisher=Lookvise, Inc. |language=ja |quote= |script-quote=ja:「けふ」の「け」は、「今朝（けさ）」と同じ「け」で、「こ（此）」の意味。 |trans-quote=The {{translit|ja|ke}} in {{translit|ja|kefu}} is the same {{translit|ja|ke}} as in {{translit|ja|kesa}}, meaning "this".}}</ref> Likewise, {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:今日#Japanese|今日]]}} ("today") is also {{translit|ja|jukujikun}}, usually read with the native reading {{translit|ja|kyō}}; its {{translit|ja|on'yomi}}, {{translit|ja|konnichi}}, does occur in certain words and expressions, especially in the broader sense "nowadays" or "current", such as {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:今日的#Japanese|今日的]]}} ("present-day"), although in the phrase {{translit|ja|konnichi wa}} ("good day"), {{translit|ja|konnichi}} is typically spelled wholly with {{translit|ja|hiragana}} rather than with the kanji {{Nihongo2|今日}}.

{{translit|ja|Jukujikun}} are primarily used for some native Japanese words, such as [[Yamato (disambiguation)|Yamato]]<!-- intentional link to DAB page--> ({{lang|ja|[[:wikt:大和#Japanese|大和]]}} or {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:倭#Japanese|倭]]}}, the name of the dominant ethnic group of Japan, a former Japanese province as well as ancient name for Japan), and for some old borrowings, such as {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:柳葉魚#Japanese|柳葉魚]]}} ({{translit|ja|[[shishamo]]}}, literally "willow leaf fish") from Ainu, {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:煙草#Japanese|煙草]]}} ({{translit|ja|tabako}}, literally “smoke grass”) from Portuguese, or {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:麦酒#Japanese|麦酒]]}} ({{translit|ja|bīru}}, literally “wheat alcohol”) from Dutch, especially if the word was borrowed before the [[Meiji period]]. Words whose kanji are {{translit|ja|jukujikun}} are often usually written as {{translit|ja|hiragana}} (if native), or {{translit|ja|katakana}} (if borrowed); some old borrowed words are also written as {{translit|ja|hiragana}}, especially Portuguese loanwords such as {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:かるた#Japanese|かるた]]}} ({{translit|ja|karuta}}) from Portuguese "{{lang|pt|[[:wikt:carta#Portuguese|carta]]}}" (English “card”) or {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:てんぷら#Japanese|てんぷら]]}} ({{translit|ja|tempura}}) from Portuguese "{{lang|pt|[[:wikt:tempora#Portuguese|tempora]]}}" (English “times, season”),{{cn|date=February 2021}} as well as {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:たばこ#Japanese|たばこ]]}} ({{translit|ja|tabako}}).

Sometimes, {{translit|ja|jukujikun}} can even have more kanji than there are syllables, examples being {{translit|ja|kera}} ({{lang|ja|[[:wikt:啄木鳥#Japanese|啄木鳥]]}}, “woodpecker”), {{translit|ja|gumi}} ({{lang|ja|[[:wikt:胡頽子#Japanese|胡頽子]]}}, “silver berry, oleaster”),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/29056/how-many-possible-phonological-forms-could-be-represented-by-a-randomly-chosen-s|title=How many possible phonological forms could be represented by a randomly chosen single character?|website=japanese.stackexchange.com|access-date=2017-07-15|archive-date=June 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622083908/https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/29056/how-many-possible-phonological-forms-could-be-represented-by-a-randomly-chosen-s|url-status=live}}</ref> and {{translit|ja|Hozumi}} ({{lang|ja|[[:wikt:八月朔日#Japanese|八月朔日]]}}, a surname).<ref name="How do Japanese names work">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sljfaq.org/afaq/names-for-people.html|title=How do Japanese names work?|website=www.sljfaq.org|language=en|access-date=2017-11-14|archive-date=June 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622111518/https://www.sljfaq.org/afaq/names-for-people.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This phenomenon is observed in animal names that are shortened and used as suffixes for zoological compound names, for example when {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:黄金虫#Japanese|黄金虫]]}}, normally read as {{translit|ja|koganemushi}}, is shortened to {{translit|ja|kogane}} in {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:黒黄金虫#Japanese|黒黄金虫]]}} {{translit|ja|kurokogane}}, although zoological names are commonly spelled with katakana rather than with kanji. Outside zoology, this type of shortening only occurs on a handful of words, for example {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:大元帥#Japanese|大元帥]]}} {{translit|ja|daigen(sui)}}, or the historical male name suffix {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:右衛門#Japanese|右衛門]]}} {{translit|ja|-emon}}, which was shortened from the word {{translit|ja|uemon}}.

The kanji compound for {{translit|ja|jukujikun}} is often idiosyncratic and created for the word, and there is no corresponding Chinese word with that spelling. In other cases, a kanji compound for an existing Chinese word is reused, where the Chinese word and {{translit|ja|on'yomi}} may or may not be used in Japanese. For example, {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:馴鹿#Japanese|馴鹿]]}} (“reindeer”) is {{translit|ja|jukujikun}} for {{translit|ja|tonakai}}, from Ainu, but the {{translit|ja|on'yomi}} reading of {{translit|ja|junroku}} is also used. In some cases, Japanese coinages have subsequently been [[Wasei-kango|borrowed back into Chinese]], such as {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:鮟鱇#Japanese|鮟鱇]]}} ({{translit|ja|ankō}}, “[[monkfish]]”).

The underlying word for {{translit|ja|jukujikun}} is a native Japanese word or foreign borrowing, which either does not have an existing kanji spelling (either {{translit|ja|kun'yomi}} or {{translit|ja|ateji}}) or for which a new kanji spelling is produced. Most often the word is a noun, which may be a simple noun (not a compound or derived from a verb), or may be a verb form or a fusional pronunciation. For example, the word {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:相撲#Japanese|相撲]]}} ({{translit|ja|sumō}}, “[[sumo]]”) is originally from the verb {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:争う#Japanese|争う]]}} ({{translit|ja|sumau}}, “to vie, to compete”), while {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:今日#Japanese|今日]]}} ({{translit|ja|kyō}}, “today”) is fusional (from older {{translit|ja|ke}}, “this” + {{translit|ja|fu}}, “day”).

In rare cases, {{translit|ja|jukujikun}} is also applied to inflectional words (verbs and adjectives), in which case there is frequently a corresponding Chinese word. The most common example of an inflectional {{translit|ja|jukujikun}} is the adjective {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:可愛い#Japanese|可愛い]]}} ({{translit|ja|kawai-i}}, “cute”), originally {{translit|ja|kawafayu-i}}; the word {{Nihongo||{{linktext|可愛}}}} is used in [[Chinese language|Chinese]], but the corresponding {{translit|ja|on'yomi}} is not used in Japanese. By contrast, "appropriate" can be either {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:相応しい#Japanese|相応しい]]}} ({{translit|ja|fusawa-shii}}, as {{translit|ja|jukujikun}}) or {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:相応#Japanese|相応]]}} ({{translit|ja|sōō}}, as {{translit|ja|on'yomi}}). Which reading to use can be discerned by the presence or absence of the {{translit|ja|-shii}} ending ({{translit|ja|[[okurigana]]}}). A common example of a verb with {{translit|ja|jukujikun}} is {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:流行る#Japanese|流行る]]}} ({{translit|ja|haya-ru}}, “to spread, to be in vogue”), corresponding to {{translit|ja|on'yomi}} {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:流行#Japanese|流行]]}} ({{translit|ja|ryūkō}}). A sample {{translit|ja|jukujikun}} deverbal (noun derived from a verb form) is {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:強請#Japanese|強請]]}} ({{translit|ja|yusuri}}, “extortion”), from {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:強請る#Japanese|強請る]]}} ({{translit|ja|yusu-ru}}, “to extort”), spelling from {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:強請#Japanese|強請]]}} ({{translit|ja|kyōsei}}, “extortion”). Note that there are also compound verbs and, less commonly, compound adjectives, and while these may have multiple kanji without intervening characters, they are read using the usual {{translit|ja|kun'yomi}}. Examples include {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:面白い#Japanese|面白い]]}} ({{translit|ja|omo-shiro-i}}, “interesting”, literally “face + white”) and {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:狡賢い#Japanese|狡賢い]]}} ({{translit|ja|zuru-gashiko-i}}, “sly”, {{Lit|}} “cunning, crafty + clever, smart”).

Typographically, the {{translit|ja|[[furigana]]}} for {{translit|ja|jukujikun}} are often written so they are centered across the entire word, or for inflectional words over the entire root—corresponding to the reading being related to the entire word—rather than each part of the word being centered over its corresponding character, as is often done for the usual phono-semantic readings.

Broadly speaking, {{translit|ja|jukujikun}} can be considered a form of {{translit|ja|[[ateji]]}}, though in narrow usage, "{{translit|ja|ateji}}" refers specifically to using characters for sound and not meaning (sound-spelling), whereas "{{translit|ja|jukujikun}}" refers to using characters for their meaning and not sound (meaning-spelling). Many {{translit|ja|jukujikun}} (established meaning-spellings) began as {{translit|ja|gikun}} (improvised meaning-spellings). Occasionally, a single word will have many such kanji spellings. An extreme example is {{nihongo|||hototogisu|[[Lesser Cuckoo|lesser cuckoo]]}}, which may be spelt in many ways, including {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:杜鵑#Japanese|杜鵑]]}}, {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:時鳥#Japanese|時鳥]]}}, {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:子規#Japanese|子規]]}}, {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:不如帰#Japanese|不如帰]]}}, {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:霍公鳥#Japanese|霍公鳥]]}}, {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:蜀魂#Japanese|蜀魂]]}}, {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:沓手鳥#Japanese|沓手鳥]]}}, {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:杜宇#Japanese|杜宇]]}},{{lang|ja|[[:wikt:田鵑#Japanese|田鵑]]}}, {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:沓直鳥#Japanese|沓直鳥]]}}, and {{lang|ja|[[:wikt:郭公#Japanese|郭公]]}}—many of these variant spellings are particular to [[haiku]] poems.