Japanese etymology : Query result

Proto-Japanese: *pík-

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: to file, to saw

Russian meaning: пилить

Old Japanese: pjik-

Middle Japanese: fík-

Tokyo: hìk-

Kyoto: hík-

Kagoshima: hík-

Comments: JLTT 689. The basic meaning of the verb attested in OJ is 'pull'; modern Jpn. has, however, also the meaning 'to file, saw', and in OJ there is a derived noun pjikji, pjikji-ri 'rubbing wood for producing fire' (where pji- is definitely attested and cannot be = pi 'fire'). The meaning 'pull' therefore is either unrelated or secondarily derived < 'file, rub'.