愛さん

Okinawan

Kanji in this term
愛
かな Grade: 4
kun’yomi

Alternative spellings
悲さん 哀さん

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *kanasi, from Proto-Japonic *kanasi (“beloved, dear”). Cognate with Old Japanese 悲し (kanasi, “emotionally overwhelming: dear, beloved, sad”) (whence standard Japanese 悲しい (kanashii, “sad, sorrowful”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kanasaŋ̍/

Adjective

愛(かな)さん (kanasan) 

1. dear, beloved
2. lovely, endearing
3. adorable, cute
4. pretty

Usage notes

• Although the alternative forms, 悲さん and 哀さん, are etymologically correct and more clearly reveal the term's pronunciation, they should be avoided as they translingually imply a sense of grief, sorrow, and anguish.

Derived terms

• 愛(かな)さすん (kanasasun)

References

• “かなさん【愛さん・悲さん・哀さん】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.
• “カナサン（かなさん）” in Okinawan Dialect Dictionary - Ajima.