Japanese Female Names 129 



custom, or because of ideas connected with the 

 religion of Shinto. 



PLACE-NAMES 



O-Fuji [Mount] " Fuji." 



O-Hama . . . . " Coast." 



O-lcU "Market," fair. 



O-Iyo "lyo," province of lyo, in Shikoku. 



O-Kawa (rare) . . " River." 



O-Kisbi .... "Beach," shore. 



O-Kita " North." 



O-Kiwa . . . . " Border." 



O-Kuni .... "Province." 



O-Ky5 " Capital," metropolis, Kyoto. 



O-Macbi .... "Town." 



Matsu'6 " Matsug," chief city of Izumo. 



O-Mina l .... "South." 



O-Mine .... "Peak." 



O-Miya .... "Temple" [Stints}? 



O-Mon* .... "Gate." 



O-Mura .... "Village." 



O-Nami* .... "Wave." 



Naniwa .... "Naniwa," ancient name of Osaka. 



O-Nisbi . " West." 



1 Abbreviation of Minami. 



* I must confess that in classing this name as a place-name, I am 

 only making a guess. It seems to me that the name probably refers to 

 the icbi no miya, or chief Shinto temple of some province. 



8 I fancy that this name, like that of O-Seki, must have originated 

 In the custom of naming children after the place, or neighborhood, 

 where the family lived. But here again, I am guessing. 



This classification also is a guess. I could learn nothing about 

 the name, except the curious fact that it is said to be unlucky. 



9 



