Two tsu to you too!

津津浦浦
tsu.tsu.ura.ura

Literally: harbor – harbor – bay – bay

Alternately: Everywhere; every inch of the country; throughout the entire land (of Japan).

Notes: Naturally, this can also be written with the repetition mark, as 津々浦々.

This compound is somewhat unusual in that it uses only the native Japanese pronunciations of the characters (so-called kun readings); many compounds and many yojijukugo keep things short by using Chinese-derived pronunciations (on readings). The emphasis derived from doubling each character functions as a sort of plural in a language that technically has no systematic grammatical plural.

This compound is contrasting human-shaped ports and natural seaside. But the combination of littoral features coming to mean “everything in the whole country” goes to show how much Japanese culture has traditionally been one of open lowlands and the sea, rather than the forested mountains that make up so much of the archipelago’s land area.

TsuTsuUraTie

Now you, too, can own a tie emblazoned with this idiomatic expression meaning “everywhere” in cellphone-level pixelated text! (From zazzle.co.jp.)

About Confanity

I love the written word more than anything else I've had the chance to work with. I'm back in the States from Japan for grad school, but still studying Japanese with the hope of becoming a translator -- or writer, or even teacher -- as long as it's something language-related.
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