梅雨

Etymology
Refers to the season when fruits of ripen.

Noun

 * 1)  the East Asian rainy season
 * 2) rain that falls during the Meiyu season; summer rain
 * 1) rain that falls during the Meiyu season; summer rain
 * 1) rain that falls during the Meiyu season; summer rain

Etymology 1
First attested in the mid-.

Derivation unclear, likely theories include:
 * May be cognate with, from the way the rainy season causes everything to be covered in drops that may look like dew. However, the pitch accent differs, as has either an  or  pattern, while  has a  pattern.
 * Alternatively, may be cognate with classical verb, as plums ripen during the rainy season. In light of the pitch accent and semantics, this derivation appears more likely.

.

Noun

 * 1) the East Asian rainy season

Etymology 2
From compound, in poetic reference to the season when plums grow or ripen.

Alternatively, the spelling may have been the original spelling. This is homophonous in 🇨🇬, and literally means “mold + rain”, in reference to how moldy things get during this season of constant humidity.

Noun

 * 1) the East Asian rainy season