香具師

There are various theories about its origin.

1. From omitting of く (ku) from 薬(やく)師(し) (yakushi, “medicine seller”).
2. From omitting of ま (ma) from 山(やま)師(し) (yamashi, “fraud”).
3. From omitting of 武(ぶ) (bu) from 野(や)武(ぶ)士(し) (yabushi, “wild samurai”). Yabushi sold medicine due to their poorness.
4. From omitting of 郎(ろう) (rō) from 弥(や)四(し)郎(ろう) (Yashirō). Yashirō was the personal name of a successful medicine-seller; others called themselves Yashi after his success.

Following alternative forms are used for historical usage only.

• 野(や)師(し) (yashi)
• 野(や)士(し) (yashi)
• 弥(や)四(し) (yashi)
• 矢(や)師(し) (yashi)
• 弥(や)四(し) (yashi)

• IPA^(key): [ja̠ɕi]

• IPA^(key): [ko̞ːɡɯ̟ᵝɕi]

• IPA^(key): [ka̠ɯ̟ᵝɡɯ̟ᵝɕi]

香具師(やし) or 香(こう)具(ぐ)師(し) or 香(かう)具(ぐ)師(し) • (yashi or kōgushi or kaugushi) 

1. person who makes or sells incense
2. (historical) person who gathers people with one's performance and sells medicine or incense on festival day, day of an event, or other special day [18c]
3. person who sells food or provides entertainment on temporary market stall on festival day, day of an event, or other special day

• 的(てき)屋(や) (tekiya), テキ屋(や) (tekiya)
• 露(ろ)天(てん)商(しょう) (rotenshō)

• やくざ (yakuza)

Form of ヤシ (yashi) is similar to ヤツ (yatsu, “guy”) (katakana form of 奴) and やし can be converted to 香具師(やし) (yashi) with Japanese input method.

• IPA^(key): [ja̠ɕi]

香具師(やし) • (yashi) 

1. (2channel slang, dated) Eye dialect spelling of 奴 (yatsu, “guy”).