こし

Etymology 1
From. First appears in the  of 712. In turn from.

Noun

 * 1) the waist, the (lower) back, the small of the back
 * 2)  the lumbar region
 * 3) the skirting of a shoji
 * 4) the third line of a waka or tanka poem
 * 5)  chewiness; springiness

Etymology 2


First cited to  in the late-800s, early 900s. Further derivation uncertain. May be the of verb.

Noun

 * 1) palanquin, litter

Etymology 3
From. Cited in the  of 720.

Theorized to be an extension of the sense from the way that upper storeys in older Japanese architecture were usually smaller, resulting in a hipped effect similar to the way that the waist may be narrower than the hips on a person's body.

Noun

 * 1)  a storey

Usage notes
This reading has fallen out of use and been replaced by the 🇨🇬-derived sō reading. See the entry for more.