ホルモン

Japanese

Etymology

Borrowed from German Hormon.[1]

The sense “offal” originated from the names of some Taishō era cuisines that supposedly promote human health by "affecting hormones". Relation to the phrase "放(ほう)るもん (hōru mon, literally “things to throw away”)" is a folk etymology.

Pronunciation

Noun

ホルモン • (horumon) 

  1. (biology, medicine) hormone
  2. (cooking) offal, pig or cow entrails utilized as food
    Synonyms: もつ (motsu), 臓物 (zōmotsu)

References
  1. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK Publishing, →ISBN
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