天邪鬼

Noun

 * 1) amanojaku

Etymology 1
Compound of.

The jaku reading for the term is unusual, and the reason for this deviation from the expected jaki reading is unclear. One theory holds that the reading is a shift from, the name of a yōkai that appears in ancient Japanese tales and that seems to have been conflated with the Buddhist jaki, a malevolent demon that leads people astray from the path to enlightenment:



There is a cluster of phonologically similar forms listed in some sources, referring either to the Buddhist entity or the yōkai, consistent with the conflation theory:



The amanojaku reading appears to be the most common reading for the spelling.

Noun

 * 1) a kind of oni that appears in various folktales as the bad guy, who deliberately goes against what people say
 * 2) someone with a personality or behavior reminiscent of the folktale character: a crank, a perverse person
 * 3)  in Buddhist statuary, the small devil or demon being trampled under the feet of a  or one of the
 * 4)  in Buddhist statuary, the devil or demon face on the breastplate of
 * 5) a grub insect larva
 * 1) a grub insect larva

Etymology 2
Sound shift from amanojaku above, contracting the to just.

Noun

 * 1) see amanojaku above

Etymology 3
Appears to be a sound shift from amanojaku above.

Noun

 * 1) see amanojaku above

Etymology 4
Sound shift from amanojako above, contracting the to just.

Noun

 * 1) see amanojaku above

Etymology 5
Appears to be a sound shift from amanojako above. Alternatively, may be a separate shift from amanosagume:



Listed with this reading as Amanozaco in the 1603 edition of the .

Noun

 * 1) see amanojaku above