Body parts confusion: 頭{あたま} vs 首{くび}, 手{て} vs 腕{うで}


What are the lexical differences between these words?

I always thought it works like this:

手{て} — **_arm/hand_** — arm in general, from fingers to shoulder.

腕{うで} — **wrist** — part of arm that connects hand to forearm, e.g. 腕時計{うでどけい}

However in Hamada Mariko's "Love Song" there are the following lyrics:

> このまま死{し}んでしまいたい、あなたの腕{うで}の中{なか}で。

頭{あたま} — **_head_** — part of body formed by skull and everything inside and
attached to it: brain, jaws, eyes, ears, nose, scalp.

首{くび} — **_neck_** — part of body that connects head to trunk.

However, character Celty from anime series "Durarara!" who has no head says:

> 首{くび}をなくした、首{くび}を探{さが}す。

It sounds confusing because however I look at her she **has** a neck but
nothing above it:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KO930.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KO930.jpg)




Well let's check the dictionary:

> _**Te**_ :
>
>   1. The upper limbs of the human body. The part extending from the left and
> right shoulders of the upper torso. The part from the shoulder joints to the
> tip of the fingers.
>   2. The part [of that] starting at the wrists. Also used not of this entire
> section, but vaguely of the fingers, palms etc.
>   3. The forelimbs of non-human animals, in the same manner as 1. and 2.
>

>
> _**Ude**_ :
>
>   1. The part of the human body starting at the shoulders and down to the
> wrists. The part from the elbow up is called the 上腕{じょうわん} (upper arm), and
> from the elbow down, the 前腕{ぜんわん｝ (forearm). In a broad sense, also used of
> the forelimbs of vertebrate animals, and of members that extend to grasp
> objects like the tentacles of hydras, etc. _Kaina_.
>

>
> [Senses 2, 3, 4 are metaphorical.]
>
> _**Atama**_ :
>
>   1. In animals, the part from the neck up (首から上). […] The part above the
> neck including the brains, eyes, ears, mouth etc. _Kashira. Kōbe._
> [Alternatively,] The part starting at the neck and topped by hair, as
> distinguished from the face.
>

>
> [Senses 2–11 are metaphorical.]
>
> _**Kubi**_ :
>
>   1. In vertebrates, the narrow part that connects the head (頭) to the
> torso. Well-developed in mammals or birds, but not always clearly
> discernible in reptiles or simpler animals. In humans, supported by 7
> cervical vertebræ. In a broader sense, used of any narrow constriction
> connected to animals' torsos or abdomens. 頸部{けいぶ}.
>
>   2. The part starting from 1. and including everything from there up.
> _Atama_.
>
>   3. [presumably archaic usage] Face (顔). Visage (容貌). Said especially of
> pretty faces and good visages, or metonimically of people considered to have
> such. 「看板の首といふものありて」
>
>

>
> [other meanings metaphorical or extended.]

All quotes from the electronic edition of the _Kokugo Daijiten_ , translated
by me.

I strongly recommend consulting native Japanese dictionaries for this kind of
doubt, rather than just lists of English glosses. If you can't read Japanese
at that level yet, try Kenkyūsha's Japanese-English dictionary, which has each
word broken down into its various senses with sample usages of each.

Regarding Celty, consider that in Japanese set expressions like "cut off their
head" or "bring me the head of their general" use _kubi_ , not _atama_ for
"head". We've seen that _kubi_ can be a synonym for _atama_ ; but, just like
in English one can "kill time" but one cannot "murder time" or "assassinate
time", in Japanese _kubi_ is, by normal usage, the word of choice in those
contexts. Given that, it's no surprise then that e.g. the Celtic ghost
Dullahan is described in Wikipedia as a 首のない男, while a headless knight is a
首なし騎士.




Well let's check the dictionary:

> _**Te**_ :
>
>   1. The upper limbs of the human body. The part extending from the left and
> right shoulders of the upper torso. The part from the shoulder joints to the
> tip of the fingers.
>   2. The part [of that] starting at the wrists. Also used not of this entire
> section, but vaguely of the fingers, palms etc.
>   3. The forelimbs of non-human animals, in the same manner as 1. and 2.
>

>
> _**Ude**_ :
>
>   1. The part of the human body starting at the shoulders and down to the
> wrists. The part from the elbow up is called the 上腕{じょうわん} (upper arm), and
> from the elbow down, the 前腕{ぜんわん｝ (forearm). In a broad sense, also used of
> the forelimbs of vertebrate animals, and of members that extend to grasp
> objects like the tentacles of hydras, etc. _Kaina_.
>

>
> [Senses 2, 3, 4 are metaphorical.]
>
> _**Atama**_ :
>
>   1. In animals, the part from the neck up (首から上). […] The part above the
> neck including the brains, eyes, ears, mouth etc. _Kashira. Kōbe._
> [Alternatively,] The part starting at the neck and topped by hair, as
> distinguished from the face.
>

>
> [Senses 2–11 are metaphorical.]
>
> _**Kubi**_ :
>
>   1. In vertebrates, the narrow part that connects the head (頭) to the
> torso. Well-developed in mammals or birds, but not always clearly
> discernible in reptiles or simpler animals. In humans, supported by 7
> cervical vertebræ. In a broader sense, used of any narrow constriction
> connected to animals' torsos or abdomens. 頸部{けいぶ}.
>
>   2. The part starting from 1. and including everything from there up.
> _Atama_.
>
>   3. [presumably archaic usage] Face (顔). Visage (容貌). Said especially of
> pretty faces and good visages, or metonimically of people considered to have
> such. 「看板の首といふものありて」
>
>

>
> [other meanings metaphorical or extended.]

All quotes from the electronic edition of the _Kokugo Daijiten_ , translated
by me.

I strongly recommend consulting native Japanese dictionaries for this kind of
doubt, rather than just lists of English glosses. If you can't read Japanese
at that level yet, try Kenkyūsha's Japanese-English dictionary, which has each
word broken down into its various senses with sample usages of each.

Regarding Celty, consider that in Japanese set expressions like "cut off their
head" or "bring me the head of their general" use _kubi_ , not _atama_ for
"head". We've seen that _kubi_ can be a synonym for _atama_ ; but, just like
in English one can "kill time" but one cannot "murder time" or "assassinate
time", in Japanese _kubi_ is, by normal usage, the word of choice in those
contexts. Given that, it's no surprise then that e.g. the Celtic ghost
Dullahan is described in Wikipedia as a 首のない男, while a headless knight is a
首なし騎士.

