Ōjin
/oːdʑiɴ/noun
Ōjin is the posthumous name traditionally assigned to the fifteenth emperor of Japan, who is conventionally dated to the late third or early fourth century.
Did you know?Ōjin’s historical existence and dates are debated, while later tradition identifies him with the deity Hachiman, one of Japan’s most important war and protection gods.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient China
Old Chinese
神
“A deity, spirit, or supernatural power; the ultimate source of the Sino-Japanese element jin.”
Medieval China
Middle Chinese
神
“A god, spirit, or divine being; this Chinese reading was later borrowed into Japanese.”
Nara Period, 8th Century
Old Japanese
応神天皇
“The imperial posthumous name written with characters conveying the sense of responding to or answering the gods.”
712
Japanese
品陀和気命
“The Kojiki records the ruler primarily under the name Homutawake no Mikoto, rather than the later imperial name Ōjin.”
720
Japanese
応神天皇
“The Nihon Shoki presents the ruler within Japan’s imperial genealogy under the posthumous name Ōjin Tennō.”
Modern English
English
Ōjin
“The conventional English transliteration of the Japanese imperial name 応神天皇, usually rendered Emperor Ōjin.”