A Finger By Any Other Name…

Mika and I were comparing the names of fingers and toes in different languages we know. Mika was saying that in addition to being called kusuri yubi (薬指 or "medicine or drug finger") and benisashi yubi (紅差指 or "lipstick finger"), Japanese people also call the "ring finger" mumeishi (無名指 or "no-name finger"). I think "no-name" is a pretty great name for a finger.

6 Replies to “A Finger By Any Other Name…”

  1. That’s quite funny, ‘cos the russian word for the “ring finger” is “безимянный палец” (bezimjannyj palets) which mean… “no-name finger” :)

    Coincidence?

  2. In Sanskrit too.  The ring finger is called anaamikaa which means nameless.  I suspect it is an ancient proto Indo-European thing.  (Though how the heck would it have gotten into Finnish or Japanese though?)

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