1.
emphasis line drawn beside text; (in horizontal writing) underline
A line drawn next to a passage to mark it out. In vertical Japanese writing it runs down the right side of the characters; in horizontal writing it appears as an underline.
Composed of 傍 (beside) + 線 (line) — literally a line at the side, reflecting vertical writing, where emphasis marks go alongside the characters rather than underneath them.
Common collocations
- 傍線を引く: to draw an emphasis line
- 傍線部: the marked portion
- 傍線の箇所: the passage with the line beside it
- 傍線は筆者による: emphasis added by the author
Usage
Most often met in exam questions and academic quotations, where 傍線部 ("the marked portion") identifies the passage a question is about. In everyday horizontal text, 下線 (underline) is the more usual word.