Hotoke

Hotoke, written in kanji as 仏 and pronounced ほとけ (hotoke), is a Japanese term with two principal senses rooted in Buddhism. In religious usage, hotoke denotes the Buddha or Buddhahood, and it appears in prayers, scriptures, and temple discourse to refer to the awakened one or to Buddhas in general. In everyday language, hotoke can also refer to a deceased person, often in a gentle or respectful way, as when speaking of someone who has passed away or in poetic, nostalgic contexts.

Etymology and form: The character 仏 is associated with the concept of Buddha. It is read hotoke in kun-yomi, used in the religious and secular senses described above. In Sino-Japanese vocabulary, the on-reading buts(u) appears in many Buddhist terms, showing how the word travels between sacred and secular registers.

Usage and notes: The word remains common in modern Japanese. In temples and religious communities, hotoke clearly designates the Buddha; in literature, media, and casual speech, it may refer to a deceased person in a respectful tone. The term exemplifies the influence of Buddhism on everyday language in Japan and its coexistence with more specialized terms for death and the divine.