織田信長 pitch accent


If I hear correctly, I think 豊臣秀吉 is とよとみひでよし{LHHHLHLL} and 明智光秀
あけちみつひで{LHHLHLL}. What about 織田信長? Is it pronounced multiple ways?

  * おだのぶなが{LHLHHH} [1](https://youtu.be/ZUxv47uigyE?t=634), [2](https://youtu.be/gL3p_c3_VWA?t=926), also [the top one here](https://forvo.com/word/%E7%B9%94%E7%94%B0%E4%BF%A1%E9%95%B7/#ja)
  * おだのぶなが{LHLHLL} [3](https://youtu.be/BvauQt6xxMc?t=973), [4](https://youtu.be/9EzY_w3kDi8?t=81), also [the second one here](https://forvo.com/word/%E7%B9%94%E7%94%B0%E4%BF%A1%E9%95%B7/#ja)
  * [The third one](https://forvo.com/word/%E7%B9%94%E7%94%B0%E4%BF%A1%E9%95%B7/#ja) sounds like おだのぶなが{HLLHLL}




I would say the most accepted accent is おだのぶなが{LHHHLL}. [#3, #4, and the
second clip on Forvo]

That’s when his name is said in full. When the surname is omitted, it should
be either のぶなが{LHLL} or のぶなが{LHHH}. The flat, or flattened, accent may be more
common now.

It seems some people use this flat accent even when they say his name in full,
like おだのぶなが{LHHHHH}. [#1 and #2] It sounds a bit awkward to me.

Actually, the same can be said about 豊臣秀吉 and 徳川家康, too.

> とよとみひでよし{LHHHHHLL}
>
> ひでよし{LHLL} or ひでよし{LHHH}

> とくがわいえやす{LHHHHHLL}
>
> いえやす{LHLL} or いえやす{LHHH}

とよとみひでよし{LHHHHHHH} and とくがわいえやす{LHHHHHHH} sound even weirder than
おだのぶなが{LHHHHH}. It may be simply because they are longer.

Few parents choose to name their children のぶなが or いえやす, but ひでよし is not an
uncommon name compared to the other two. They would be called ひでよし{LHLL}, not
ひでよし{LHHH}. It’s like the flattening of the accent gives it a special status.

明智光秀 is a bit different.

> あけちみつひで{LHHHHLL}
>
> みつひで{LHLL}

Few people say みつひで{LHHH}. This may be a sign that he is not considered to be
worthy of the special status the other three have earned.




I would say the most accepted accent is おだのぶなが{LHHHLL}. [#3, #4, and the
second clip on Forvo]

That’s when his name is said in full. When the surname is omitted, it should
be either のぶなが{LHLL} or のぶなが{LHHH}. The flat, or flattened, accent may be more
common now.

It seems some people use this flat accent even when they say his name in full,
like おだのぶなが{LHHHHH}. [#1 and #2] It sounds a bit awkward to me.

Actually, the same can be said about 豊臣秀吉 and 徳川家康, too.

> とよとみひでよし{LHHHHHLL}
>
> ひでよし{LHLL} or ひでよし{LHHH}

> とくがわいえやす{LHHHHHLL}
>
> いえやす{LHLL} or いえやす{LHHH}

とよとみひでよし{LHHHHHHH} and とくがわいえやす{LHHHHHHH} sound even weirder than
おだのぶなが{LHHHHH}. It may be simply because they are longer.

Few parents choose to name their children のぶなが or いえやす, but ひでよし is not an
uncommon name compared to the other two. They would be called ひでよし{LHLL}, not
ひでよし{LHHH}. It’s like the flattening of the accent gives it a special status.

明智光秀 is a bit different.

> あけちみつひで{LHHHHLL}
>
> みつひで{LHLL}

Few people say みつひで{LHHH}. This may be a sign that he is not considered to be
worthy of the special status the other three have earned.

