Counter intuitive meaning of お開き


Apparently 開き means "opening" but お開き means "closure", which seems very
counter intuitive. What is going on here? Are there any other similar cases in
Japanese language?




**_Euphemism vs. Taboo Words_**

**[婉曲語法]{えんきょくごほう} vs. [忌]{い}み[言葉]{ことば}**

「[閉]{と}じる」 ("to close") is considered a taboo word for auspicious events such
as a wedding party (even though the word itself is something we use without
thinking on a daily basis). Thus, we choose to say 「お[開]{ひら}きにする」 to mean
"bring (a happy event) to an end".

「閉じる」 is not the only 忌み言葉 that one needs to avoid using if one is giving a
speech at a wedding party. Words with negative meanings in the particular
context of "marriage" are to be avoided - [終]{お}わる (to end)、[出]{で}る (to
leave)、[別]{わか}れる (to part), etc.

Other examples:

「[葦]{あし}」⇒「[葭]{よし}」: " ** _Reed_** ". 「あし」 sounds like 「[悪]{あ}し」("bad"), so
let's call it 「よし」 so that it will sound like 「[良]{よ}し」("good")!

「[梨]{なし}」⇒「ありの[実]{み}」: " ** _Pear_** ". 「なし」 sounds like
「[無]{な}し」("nothingness", "non-existent"), so let's change it to
「ありの実」(literally, "fruit of the 'being/existing' kind")!

「スルメ」⇒「アタリメ」: " ** _Dried squid_** ". 「する/掏る」 means "to steal" and it can also
mean "to lose" in gambling. That does not sound too positive so let's make it
sound like "to win (money or object)" = 「[当]{あ}たる」!

(I chose the examples that I thought would be more interesting instead of the
obvious ones used in weddings and funerals.)




**_Euphemism vs. Taboo Words_**

**[婉曲語法]{えんきょくごほう} vs. [忌]{い}み[言葉]{ことば}**

「[閉]{と}じる」 ("to close") is considered a taboo word for auspicious events such
as a wedding party (even though the word itself is something we use without
thinking on a daily basis). Thus, we choose to say 「お[開]{ひら}きにする」 to mean
"bring (a happy event) to an end".

「閉じる」 is not the only 忌み言葉 that one needs to avoid using if one is giving a
speech at a wedding party. Words with negative meanings in the particular
context of "marriage" are to be avoided - [終]{お}わる (to end)、[出]{で}る (to
leave)、[別]{わか}れる (to part), etc.

Other examples:

「[葦]{あし}」⇒「[葭]{よし}」: " ** _Reed_** ". 「あし」 sounds like 「[悪]{あ}し」("bad"), so
let's call it 「よし」 so that it will sound like 「[良]{よ}し」("good")!

「[梨]{なし}」⇒「ありの[実]{み}」: " ** _Pear_** ". 「なし」 sounds like
「[無]{な}し」("nothingness", "non-existent"), so let's change it to
「ありの実」(literally, "fruit of the 'being/existing' kind")!

「スルメ」⇒「アタリメ」: " ** _Dried squid_** ". 「する/掏る」 means "to steal" and it can also
mean "to lose" in gambling. That does not sound too positive so let's make it
sound like "to win (money or object)" = 「[当]{あ}たる」!

(I chose the examples that I thought would be more interesting instead of the
obvious ones used in weddings and funerals.)

