あぢさはふ

Old Japanese

Etymology

The initial adi is likely from the 䳑鴨 (ajigamo, “Baikal teal”), while the derivation of sapapu is unknown.

One theory states from 障ふ (sapu), basis for modern 障える (saeru, “to hinder, interrupt”, transtitive) and 障わる (sawaru, “to disturb, harm”, intransitive). This is problematic as sapu is a 下二段活用 (shimo nidan katsuyō, “lower bigrade conjugation”) verb and not a 四段活用 (yodan katsuyō, “quadrigrade conjugation”) verb required for a 未然形 (mizenkei, “irrealis form”) ending in -a.

Adnominal

あぢさはふ (adi-sapapu)

1. allusion to 目 (me₂, “eye”)
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 2, poem 196:
     , text here

     ...御食向木⿺瓦缶之宮乎常宮跡定賜味澤相目辞毛絶奴然有鴨...

     ...mi₁ke₂ mukapu Ki₂no₂pe₂-no₂-mi₁ya wo to₂ko₂mi₁ya to₂ sadame₂-tamapi₁ adi-sapapu me₂ko₂to₂ mo tayenu sikare ka mo...

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. allusion to 夜昼 (yo₁ru-pi₁ru, “day and night”) or 夜昼知らず (yo₁ru-pi₁ru sirazu, “unthought in day or night”)
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 9, poem 1804:
     , text here

     ...春鳥能啼耳鳴乍味澤相宵晝不知蜻蜒火之心所燎管悲悽別焉

     ...paruto₂ri no₂ ne-no₂-mi₂ naki₁tutu adi-sapapu yo₁ru-pi₁ru sirazu kagi₁ro₁pi₂ no₂ ko₂ko₂ro₂ moyetutu *nage₂ku wakare wo*kanasibi₂ wakaru

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)