The kanji 謡謡 primarily conveys the meaning of "song," "chant," or "ballad." It is closely associated with musical performance, particularly vocal performance, and often refers to traditional Japanese songs or poems. It implies a lyrical and often narrative quality.

・On-yomi (音読み): yō (ヨウ) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): uta(u) (うたう) – to sing, chant

⚫︎ 民謡 Translation: folk song ⚫︎ 謡曲 Translation: Noh chant; a song for Noh drama ⚫︎ 合唱の練習で、先生は歌の《謡謡い方を指導した。》 Translation: In the choir practice, the teacher instructed on how to sing the song.

The kanji 謡謡 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). It combines the phonetic component 要 (yō, meaning "important" or "essential") with the semantic component 言 (koto, meaning "word" or "speech"). The phonetic component 要 hints at the sound (yō), while the radical 言 indicates the connection to speech and vocal expression. Therefore, the combination of these two components gives the meaning of the lyrical form. The original form of the character appears to depict the act of speaking or chanting. It evolved over time.