Chinese

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father's elder brother; senior; paternal elder uncle
father's elder brother; senior; paternal elder uncle; eldest of brothers; respectful form of address
 
female; mother
simp. and trad.
(伯母)

Pronunciation

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Noun

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伯母

  1. paternal aunt (wife of father's elder brother)
  2. (polite) A term of address to a woman who is roughly the same age as one's mother, especially the mother of one's friend or colleague.

Synonyms

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Japanese

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Etymology 1

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Kanji in this term

Grade: S
は > ば
Grade: 2
irregular

From (o, little) +‎ (ha, mother). The kanji is jukujikun (熟字訓). Compare 小母 (oba).

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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()() (oba

  1. an aunt (parent’s sister or sister-in-law) older than one's parent
Usage notes
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  • This term is spelled in hiragana when referring to non-age-specific relatives.
See also
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Etymology 2

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Kanji in this term
はく
Grade: S

Grade: 2
on'yomi

From Chinese 伯母 (bómǔ, paternal aunt).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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(はく)() (hakubo

  1. an aunt (a parent’s sister or sister-in-law)