noun
Archaic noun for fortune-telling or divination. In modern Japanese, 占い (うらない) is the standard word. This form survives mainly in historical contexts or as a bound element in compounds like 占い (うらない) and 卜占 (ぼくせん).
See also: 占い
古くは、亀の甲を焼いて占をした。
In ancient times, they performed divination by burning turtle shells.
「占」
The character 占 is an old word meaning fortune-telling.
The modern, common word for fortune-telling or divination. 占 (うら) is its archaic predecessor.
The historical derivation is uncertain. The kanji 占 and 卜 both relate to divination, and the reading うら is native Japanese. It may be related to 裏 (うら, 'back, hidden side'), suggesting the idea of revealing hidden things, but this is speculative.