AFAIK words マル and バツ are commonly used as short answers (right and wrong, 正しい・正しくない). Are there any kanji for these words?
1 Answer
マル means 'circle', and this is clearly the word 丸{まる}.
But the origin of バツ is less clear. It may be from 罰点{ばってん}, and in fact I've always assumed the correct kanji would (in theory) be 罰, but dictionary editors appear to be less certain. 日本国語大辞典 says:
「ばってん(罰点)からできた語か
And 明鏡国語辞典 says:
「罰点(ばってん)」からか。
And 大辞林 says:
「罰点」から生じた語か
Note the か at the end in each case. Based on these dictionary entries, I can't state for certain that it would (in theory) be 罰 in kanji, but that's my best guess.
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If one ever used 『罰』, native speakers would take it to mean "punishment" 100% of the time. No one would take it to mean the "X" mark we get on a test signifying "incorrect answer". That I could guarantee.– user4032Commented Oct 15, 2014 at 15:42
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Ah, maybe I should have emphasized the "would be" part more to make it clear that I was speaking hypothetically. Thank you for the comment!– user1478Commented Oct 15, 2014 at 15:46