Offer, Supply

Interesting Fact

At a Japanese shrine, you may notice food, sake, flowers, or other objects placed before the deity. These are called お供え (おそなえ)—offerings made to 神様 (かみさま). the same kanji appears in the everyday word 子供 (こども), meaning “child.” Why? 供 also had the older meaning of a companion or someone who accompanies another person. In 子供, however, it developed as a suffix with a plural or collective sense—historically, 子供 referred to “children” rather than a single child.