Futsutsuka

Today I would like to talk about the Japanese term "futsutsuka."

"Futsutsuka" means that someone is inexperienced or insensitive due to lack of his/her ability or education.

It is said that this term comes from "futotsuka" -- where "futo" means "thick" and "tsuka" means "bulk."

In the past, it literally meant that something is thick and sturdy.

However, during the Heian period, aesthetic sense of delicate was widely spread in Japan.

Therefore, "futsutsuka" came to mean that thick things are unromantic, then it came to have the current meanings.

Also, we often calle such people "futsutsuka mono" ("mono" means "person").

ふつつか

今日は「ふつつか」という言葉を紹介します。

「ふつつか」は、能力やしつけが足りず、行き届かないさまや、気の利かないさまを表す言葉です。

この言葉は「ふとつか」から転じたとされ、かつては文字通り「太く丈夫なさま」という良い意味を表していました。

しかし、平安時代で優美繊細の美意識が浸透し、太いものは情緒に欠けているという意味を持つようになり、現在のような意味に変化しました。

また、そのような人のことを「ふつつかもの」と言います。