60008
I am reading a book with pictures and I am referring to it as an 絵本. Is the
term used for all types of picture books or is it limited to children's books?
I am reading an autobiography with pictures.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-10T16:11:33.540
60007
2019-09-27T19:31:37.193
2019-09-27T14:59:37.703
18435
18435
question
words
Does the term 絵本 refer only to children's books?
[絵本]{えほん} in most cases refers to picture books for kids.

That definition comes first under [絵本]{えほん} in dictionaries too (either in
online dictionaries or physical dictionary). Excepting some particular kind of
Japanese texts, [especially historical
ones](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B5%B5%E6%9C%AC#%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E3%81%AB%E3%81%8A%E3%81%91%E3%82%8B%E7%B5%B5%E6%9C%AC),
it only refers to picture books for children.

So what you are reading could be one of the following:

  * [雑誌]{ざっし} a magazine
  * イラスト入りの[本]{ほん} an illustrated book
  * [画集]{がしゅう} a book of paintings
  * [写真集]{しゃしんしゅう} a book of photos
  * [図解]{ずかい}[入]{い}りの本 a book with graphical explanation
  * 図版が豊富な本 'a book rich with illustrations/photos' (sounds slightly formal)
  * 絵がいっぱい (or たくさん) ある本 'a book with many pictures' (colloquial)
  * etc.

The current edition of [広辞苑]{こうじえん} defines [絵本]{えほん} as

> 「[挿絵]{さしえ}のある[書籍]{しょせき}」

first. "Picture books for kids" comes next in the listed definitions.

This is because [広辞苑]{こうじえん} prioritizes meanings that are closer to the
etymology of the word when the entry has multiple definitions, as a general
rule. [岩波国語辞典]{いわなみこくごじてん} ,a dictionary from the same publisher, prioritizes
modern Japanese and puts "kids' picture books" first, and a genre of books
with illustrations in the Edo period next.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-10T17:21:56.937
60008
2018-07-11T08:50:16.813
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
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answer