相槌あいづち

Japanese

Kanji in this term
相そう	槌づち
あい Grade: 3	つち > づち Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

Etymology

From あい (ai-, “mutual, together”) + 槌づち(つち) (tsuchi, “hammer”). The tsuchi changes to zuchi as an instance of rendaku (連濁れんだく).

Noun

相そう(あい)槌づち(づち) • (aizuchi) ^{←あひづち (afiduti)?}

1. (archaic, smithing) (two persons) hammering an object at the same time [from 13th century]
   • [c. 1288, Chiribukuro, volume 8:

     鍛冶たんやがあひつちと云うんふは、二人ふたりむかひてうつゆへ歟

     Kaji ga aizuchi to iu wa, futari mukai de utsu yue yo

     When a blacksmith says aizuchi they mean two people working face-to-face]

2. (construction) a large hammer used to drive a ridgepole, beam, or other large member [from 16th century]
3. customary signals made during a conversation to indicate comprehension or attentiveness; backchannelling [from 17th century]

Usage notes

In Japanese culture it is considered polite and necessary to indicate while listening that you are in fact listening. In this sense 相槌あいづち is usually done through terse comments, affirmative grunts and other noises, and gesticulations such as a slight nodding of the head. While it is common to do this in the U.S., it is not as clearly defined a custom. Thus, it is not generally considered impolite when a person doesn't make such signals.

Derived terms

• 相槌あいづち(あいづち)を打だ(う)つ (aizuchi o utsu): chime in

Descendants

• → English: aizuchi

References

• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.
• “あい‐づち”, in 日本にっぽん国語こくご大だい辞典じてん [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here