師走

Etymology 1
→ →

Shift from shihasu, ancient sipasu (see below).

Noun

 * 1)  the twelfth month of the lunar calendar
 * "ja"
 * "ja"
 * "ja"

- 本 乎美名古乃左衣八 末 志毛月志波須乃 加伊古本千


 * 1)  the month of preparation for the new year: December

Etymology 2
→ →

From of  derivation. First appears in the  of 720.


 * From, as there were traditionally many services for monks to attend during this month. However Old Japanese verbs usually do not form nouns with their terminal form.  If this is a folk etymology, the kanji would be ateji, as it is generally regarded.
 * may be derived from, or a perhaps related root *pas- meaning "edge; division between two things", referring to the end of a year. Compare , , . However all these sound changes remain unexplained.