Does "nage" have other meanings?

Hi all.

As a newcomer to Aikido I'm in the process of coming to grips with some of the terminology.

I know that a nage is the person executing a technique, but I'm somewhat confused about the use of the word nage in the technique name/description.

For example, what is the meaning of nage in the technique Shomenuchi Irimi Nage, or Juji Nage, or Kaiten Nage? To interpret it as indicating that "the person executing the technique does this" would seem to be superfluous.

Enlightenment please.

The term nage is derived from the Japanese verb nageru-to throw. So when referring to the person executing the technique as nage, we are basically saying the thrower. In terms of technique, all throwing techniques, or nage waza, are referred to as ...nage. For example, Irimi nage means entering throw.

I've always wondered why there isn't an honorific attached to nage to differentiate it from the verb.

FYI: Other groups use Tori or Shite (pronounced shi'te) for the person executing technique.

Adam Huss wrote: FYI: Other groups use Tori or Shite (pronounced shi'te) for the person executing technique.

Yes, in the book "Best Aikido - The Fundamentals" by Kisshomaru & Moriteru Ueshiba, the term Tori is used throughout.

Cedric Healy wrote: Yes, in the book "Best Aikido - The Fundamentals" by Kisshomaru & Moriteru Ueshiba, the term Tori is used throughout.

That is not an honorific, that is just another term. Just a question of personal preference (and using whatever your sempai uses).
Don´t sweat about it.

In Japan, I have seen that Aikikai folks say tori and aite as much or more than they say nage and uke. In America I only heard nage and uke. What you find when you practice with Japanese people is that their use of terminology is much more fluid than it is among foreign practitioners outside of Japan, and they aren't always as tied to set terminology. It probably has something to do with being native speakers of the language.

Chris Farnham wrote: In Japan, I have seen that Aikikai folks say tori and aite as much or more than they say nage and uke. In America I only heard nage and uke. What you find when you practice with Japanese people is that their use of terminology is much more fluid than it is among foreign practitioners outside of Japan, and they aren't always as tied to set terminology. It probably has something to do with being native speakers of the language.

Just a minor quibble: "Aite" simply means partner, it is not specific to who attacks and who throws. So, not quite the same thing.

"Just a minor quibble: "Aite" simply means partner, it is not specific to who attacks and who throws. So, not quite the same thing"

Yes,you are right, but in my experience with Japanese teachers they usually say Aite(partner) when referring to uke, just as English speaking teachers tend to refer to uke as partner instead of uke. My point was simply that native speakers aren't as hard lined about specific terminology as a lot of non Japanese speaking practitioners.

Chris Farnham wrote: Yes,you are right, but in my experience with Japanese teachers they usually say Aite(partner) when referring to uke ...

jup. My experience too.

"aite" means just "partner" as Willi states.
And it also means "the antagonist" or "the other one of a pair of two".
So this meaning is a little bit nearer to the common understanding of "uke".
Like using "shite" it's more about the roles of both partners.