Atsutane HIRATA and others maintain that 'tamagushi' came to be called so because it was decorated with balls like in the description of the mythology, whereas Norinaga MOTOORI maintained the word meant 'tamukegushi' (literally, 'pointing towards the altar').
平田篤胤らは神話の記述のように玉をつけたから「玉串」だとし、本居宣長は「手向串」の意としている。