さる

Japanese

Etymology 1

For pronunciation and definitions of さる – see the following entries.

【猿】S [noun] a monkey (primate) [noun] Short for 日本猿 (Nihonzaru, “Japanese macaque”). [noun] (loosely) an ape (animal) Alternative spelling サル

【申】3 [proper noun] the Monkey, the ninth of the twelve Earthly Branches

【去る】 [verb] to leave

(This term, さる (saru), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as さる, see Category:Japanese kanji read as さる.)

Etymology 2

Alternative spelling
然る

The 連体形(れんたいけい) (rentaikei, “adnominal form”) of 然(さ)り (sari, “to be so”), a shift from earlier 然 (sa, “so; like that”) +‎ あり (ari, “to be”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) さる [sáꜜrù] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [sa̠ɾɯ̟]

Adnominal

さる • (saru) 

1. a certain
2. such

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sa̠ɾɯ̟]

Verb

さる • (saru) 

1. (Classical Japanese) Alternative form of せらる (seraru), terminal passive of す (su)
   • 1928, 萩原朔太郎, 常識家の非常識‎^[2], 青空文庫:

     してみれば常(じやう)識(しき)的(てき)聰(そう)明(めい)といふこと（今(いま)の小(せう)説(せつ)家(か)等(ら)が唯(ゆい)一(いつ)の得(とく)意(い)とするのはそれである。）は、必(かならず)しも僕(ぼく)等(ら)にとつて恐(おそ)ろしいものでない。否(いな)むしろ低(てい)級(きふ)視(し)さるべき、愚(ぐ)劣(れつ)な馬(ば)鹿(か)馬(ば)鹿(か)しいものである。

     Shite mireba jōshikiteki sōmei to iu koto (ima no shōsetsukara ga yuiitsu no tokui to suru no wa sore de aru.) wa, kanarazu shi mo bokura ni totte osoroshii mono de nai. Ina mushiro teikyūshi saru beki, guretsu na bakabakashii mono de aru.

     Then, common-sense wisdom (this is the only thing novelists today can pride themselves on) is not necessarily something for us to be afraid of. No, if anything, it is something that should be looked down upon, something asinine and stupid.

References

1. “文法上許容スベキ事項”, in 官報, number 6728, 1905 December 2, 文部省告示第158号, page 57