1.
source book; original material
A book or text that served as the source or inspiration for another work. Used in literary and creative contexts to refer to the original material that a writer or storyteller drew from.
この小説の種本は何だろう。
I wonder what the source book for this novel is.
落語の種本となった話を調べた。
I looked into the stories that served as source material for rakugo.
あの映画の種本は実話に基づいたノンフィクションだ。
The source material for that movie is a nonfiction work based on a true story.
USAGE:
Used in literary criticism, book reviews, and discussions of creative works. Can sometimes carry a nuance of revealing that a seemingly original work was actually based on something else.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 種本になる (to serve as source material)
- 種本を明かす (to reveal the source)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 原作: original work — the work on which an adaptation is based
- 出典: source, reference — where a quotation or idea comes from