Overview
Doodle (落書き\らくがき\ラクガキ rakugaki, lit. "graffiti" / ドゥードゥル, lit. "doodle") can refer to a quick rough sketch or scribbles. This article will go in detail about the Japanese usage of the word, known as graffiti.
Definition
- Writing/written in a place that is a nuisance to others. "To scribble on the wall".
- Writing/written on a lighter note. "Scribbling on a piece of notepaper".
- Badly written or drawn. "Just doodles".
From the eighth edition of the Sanseido's Japanese Dictionary (2021). In the seventh edition, only the meaning of doodling on gates, walls, etc. was listed.
In the seventh edition of the Sanseido Modern New Japanese Dictionary released in 2023, a description of "a humble way of saying something, such as an illustration published on a social networking service," was added as word meaning category 2.
Etymology
Graffiti is a jūbako reading (to read the upper characters in on'yomi and the lower characters in kun'yomi) of the Japanese-Chinese word "rakusho" (落書). Rakusho is an anonymous leaflet that expressed criticism or social satire of politics, society, or people in power from the Middle Ages to the early modern period. Such leaflets were also called "落とし文", but the Chinese form "落書" is more ancient. They were also pasted on the walls and fences of the other party's house, which led to its current meaning of "graffiti" (落書き, Etymological Dictionary).
Related Articles
Graffiti Illustration Scribble Sketch Rough Sketch Doodling Doodles
External Links
English
Japanese
らくがきとは [単語記事] - ニコニコ大百科 (NicoNico Encyclopedia)
