危機一髪

Japanese
Kanji in this term
危 機 一 髪
き
Grade: 6		 き
Grade: 4		 いつ > いっ
Grade: 1		 はつ > ぱつ
Grade: S
kan’yōon kan’on
Alternative spelling
危機一髮 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

Compound of 危機 (kiki, “crisis”) +‎ 一髪 (ippatsu, “one hair”),[1][2][3] where 一髪 (ippatsu) is in reference to the Chinese expression 千鈞一髮／千钧一发 (qiānjūnyīfà), alluding to a 15,000-kilogram weight suspended by a single strand of hair.[4]

First attested in 1902.[1]

Pronunciation
  • (Tokyo) き​きいっぱつ [kíꜜkì ìppàtsù] (Atamadaka – [1])[5]
  • IPA(key): [kʲikʲi ip̚pa̠t͡sɨᵝ]

Noun

危(き)機(き)一(いっ)髪(ぱつ) • (kiki ippatsu) 

  1. [from 1902] imminent danger, a close call: a situation where danger is so high that the tiniest mistake could result in failure
    危(き)機(き)一(いっ)髪(ぱつ)の瞬(しゅん)間(かん)
    kiki ippatsu no shunkan
    close call of the moment

References
  1. “危機一髪”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
  2. “危機一髪”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
  3. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  4. Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  5. 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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