　植物の「半夏生」は「どくだみ」のなかまで、やはり独特の臭気がある。しかし牧野富太郎博士の植物図鑑では「毒草」とは述べていない。また夏至から11日目頃に白い葉をつけるから「半夏生」という名がついたともいい、あるいは葉の半面が白いので「半分化粧」したという意味だとも言われていたようだ。

　人間が動植物の名前をどのように付けていったかを考えると、多くは連想によっていることがわかる。そしてそのことはまた、人間の自然物の発見の時系列を示しているのである。
　つまり「A"」の発見の前に「A'」の発見があり、それ以前に「A」を発見していたということにる。　
　たとえば鼻の長い「テングザル」という名前を付けるよりさきに、日本人は民俗として「天狗」に親しんでいたわけだ。「コバンザメ」という名前をつける前に、日本の貨幣経済のなかに「小判」が流通していた、というぐあいだ。我家の庭にあり、先日このブログ日記で俳句の題材とした「二人静」は、鎌倉時代以降に付けられた植物名ということになる。
　おもしろいねー。これは文化史の問題に繋がることだ。あるいは広い意味での認知論にも繋がるだろう。

　さて、そんなことを書いているうちに戯作が一句浮かんだ。

　コロナ禍や菜断ちはせぬぞよ半夏生　青穹（山田維史）

Around july 2, the 11th day from the summer solstice

A long time ago, it was unclear what time it was, but
it was customary not to eat vegetables, saying that it
would be poisonous from heaven on this day. Probably
because vegetables were perishable in the days when
there was no refrigerator and no ice making technology.
According to one theory, a poisonous plant called "Han-
geshō (Saururus chinensis Baill )".
The plant "Hangeshō" has a peculia odor even in
"Houttuynia cordata". However, Dr. Tomitaro Makino's
botanical pictorial book does not mention "poisonous

(half-summer)" was given because while leaves were
attached around the 11th day from the summer sol-
stice, or that it meant "half-make" because one side of
the leaves was white. This is because the Japanese word
"geshō" sounds similar to "keshō (make-up)".

it can be seen that many are associated. And that also
shows the timeline of the discovery of human natural
objects.
In other words, there was a discovery of A' before the
discovery of A", and it means that A was discovered
before that.
For example, before giving the name "Tenguzaru
(Proboscis monkey)" with a long nose, the Japanese
were familiar with "Tengu (long-nosed goblin)" as a
folklore. Before the name "Kobanzame (Remora)
was given, "kobang (oval-shaped gold coin of old
Japan)" was in circulation in Japan's monetary economy.
Located in my garden, "Futarishizuka (Chloranthus
serratus Roem. et Schult .)", which was subject of
haiku in this blog diary the other day, is the name a
plant that was given after the Kamakura period.

It's interesting. This leads to the problem of cultural
history. Or it will lead to cognitivism in a broad sense.

Well, while I was writting such a thing, a haiku came
to my mind.

Korona-ka ya na-dachi wa senuzoyo Hangeshō

New Corona Virus disasterー
I don't fast vegetables
I'll eat it!ー in Hangeshō

Tadami Yamada

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