kuroko

thumb|right|200px|Print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi of actor with three Kuroko thumb|200px|Kuroko behind actors on stage are stagehands in traditional Japanese theatre, who dress all in black.

==Lexical background== 黒衣 is primarily read 'kurogo,' differentiating from the other readings kokui/kokue/kuroginu "black clothes" – the go/gi suffix underlining the 'wearing' intent. Another synonym for the stagehands was also 黒具 'kurogo' "black instrument" as they were meant to serve the performance. Over time, the unvoiced mispronounciation 'kuroko' also started to be used, and needed its own spelling that took the simple 子 ko character as an 'ateji' (sound only), making the 黒子 kuroko word. (Originally though 黒子 was read 'hokuro' and meant "beauty spot.") Hirofumi The two readings kuroko/kurogo are both available for the two spellings 黒衣/黒子.