Kabuki 歌舞伎 comes from the verb 'kabuku', meaning 'to deviate from the normal
manners and customs, to do something absurd.' Today kabuki is performed
only by men, but the first kabuki performance was given in about 1603
by a girl, a shrine maiden of Kyoto named O-kuni, who 'deviated from the
normal customs' by dressing as a man and entertaining the public with
satirical dances in the grounds of the Kitano shrine. [Toshie M. Evans,
"A Dictionary of Japanese Loanwords," 1997]
歌 song, sing
舞 dance, flit, circle, wheel
伎
deed, skill ... or ... 妓 stretch, singing girl, geisha, prostitute
能楽 [のうがく] nōgaku
from
能 ability, talent, skill, capacity
楽 music, comfort, ease
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