Kumo (Clouds)

Kumo (clouds) in Japanese traditional motif

In ancient times, the Chinese people performed augury by observing the figure or color of clouds which climbed toward the sky from mountains.
This custom passed on to Japan, and the motif of cloud began to be used widely. In after ages, the figure of the motif extended more transversally as shown in “yokogumo”.

kumo1
onigumo (“oni” originally means “ogre”, which often turns into the meaning of “fierce”)
kumo2
tanabikigumo (“tanabiki” means “trail”)
kumo3
yokogumo (“yoko” means “horizontal”)
When two words are united in one word, the pronunciation of the initial letter ‘k’ chenged to ‘g’ in the latter word.