あまねし

Japanese

Alternative spellings
遍し 普し

Etymology

Unclear. The initial element ama- may be related to 数多(あまた) (amata), 余(あま)る (amaru), and 余(あま)す (amasu).

Almost certainly related to 多(まね)し (maneshi) and さまねし (samaneshi). One theory suggests a relationship with Korean 많- (man-, “to be many”) through Middle Korean 만〯 (Yale: mǎn), where 多(まね)し (maneshi) would be the base form whilst あまねし (amaneshi) and さまねし (samaneshi) would be forms that have a prefix attached. However, this theory is problematic for several reasons:

• The relationship with ama- described above.
• Whilst さ (sa) in さまねし (samaneshi) is likely the beautification prefix さ (sa-), as seen in 彷徨(さまよ)う (samayou) and さ寝(ぬ) (sanu), there is no such etymologically regularly seen and semantically consistent prefix *あ (a-) known.
• Middle Korean 만〯 (Yale: mǎn) is usually, though somewhat speculatively, connected to Sino-Korean 萬 (mǎn, “ten thousand; myriad; (figuratively) countless”). This form displaced native 하다〮 (Yale: hàtá, “to be many”), the older form, which would more likely be the form that would have some sort of genetic or loanword relationship with Japanese.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [a̠ma̠ne̞ɕi]

Adjective

あまねし • (amaneshi) ^†-ku

1. (Classical Japanese) universal, wide

Derived terms

• あまねく (amaneku)