愛しい

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Japanese[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Kanji in this term
いと
Grade: 4
kun’yomi

/itoːɕiː//itoɕiː/

Sound shift from 愛おしい (itōshii), in turn derived from verb 厭う (itou, to detest, to loathe, to hate), from an underlying idea of causing mental anguish. The sense developed from the way that missing someone or something can cause mental anguish, giving rise to the modern meaning of dear.[1][2]

First attested in a text from 1518.[1]

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

(いと)しい (itoshii-i (adverbial (いと)しく (itoshiku))

  1. [from 1518] dear, loveful, precious
    Synonyms: かわいい (kawaii), 慕わしい (shitawashii)
    Antonym: 憎い (nikui)
  2. [from late 1500s] pitiable, regrettable
    Synonyms: かわいそう (kawaisō), 労しい (itawashii), 不憫 (fubin)
Inflection[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Kanji in this term
かな
Grade: 4
kun’yomi

Rare alternative spelling.

For pronunciation and definitions of 愛しい – see the following entry.
かなしい
[adjective] [from 720] sad, sorrowful
Alternative spelling
哀しい
(This term, 愛しい, is an alternative spelling (rare) of the above term.)

Etymology 3[edit]

Kanji in this term
うつく
Grade: 4
kun’yomi

Rare alternative spelling.

For pronunciation and definitions of 愛しい – see the following entry.
うつくしい
[adjective] beautiful
[adjective] (archaic, Classical Japanese) adorable, beloved
(This term, 愛しい, is an alternative spelling (rare) of the above term.)

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1988, 国語大辞典(新装版) (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
  2. 2.0 2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006) 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN