めく
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Japanese
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Ultimate derivation unknown. Possibly related to suffix む (-mu, “to seem like, to look like, to behave like”) and derivative める (-meru, “to make something seem like, look like, behave like”); compare also 目 (me, “eye”).
The suffix is first attested in the Tosa Nikki of 935.[1] Use as a standalone verb appears much later in works from the early 1800s.[1]
Etymological theories
Some etymological theories were proposed by some sources:[1]
- The Wa-kun no Shiyori and Daigenkai derive this from 見来 (mie-ku, literally “to come seen”).
- The Myōgoki derives this from a shift of miekeku, miekemu, or misekemu, without any further context.
- The Wa-kun no Shiyori derives this from 向く (muku, “to face”).
- The Meigentsū derives this from 見る (miru, “to see”).
Suffix
[edit]めく • (-meku) godan (stem めき (-meki), past めいた (-meita))
- [from 935] to show signs of, to have the appearance of, to look like, to seem like
Inflection
[edit]Conjugation of "めく" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Katsuyōkei ("stem forms") | |||
---|---|---|---|
Mizenkei ("imperfective") | めか | meka | |
Ren’yōkei ("continuative") | めき | meki | |
Shūshikei ("terminal") | めく | meku | |
Rentaikei ("attributive") | めく | meku | |
Kateikei ("hypothetical") | めけ | meke | |
Meireikei ("imperative") | めけ | meke | |
Key constructions | |||
Passive | めかれる | mekareru | |
Causative | めかせる めかす |
mekaseru mekasu | |
Potential | めける | mekeru | |
Volitional | めこう | mekō | |
Negative | めかない | mekanai | |
Negative continuative | めかず | mekazu | |
Formal | めきます | mekimasu | |
Perfective | めいた | meita | |
Conjunctive | めいて | meite | |
Hypothetical conditional | めけば | mekeba |
Derived terms
[edit]Derived terms
- 粧す (mekasu)
- 蠢く (ugomeku)
- 呻く (umeku)
- からめく (karameku)
- きらめく (kirameku)
- くるめく (kurumeku)
- 殊更めく (kotosarameku)
- さざめく (sazameku)
- ときめく (tokimeku)
- どよめく (doyomeku)
- 謎めく (nazomeku)
- はためく (hatameku)
- 犇めく (hishimeku)
- 閃く (hirameku)
- ふためく (futameku)
- 古めく (furumeku)
- めくるめく (mekurumeku)
- 揺らめく (yurameku)
- よろめく (yoromeku)
- わめく (wameku)
Verb
[edit]めく • (meku) intransitive godan (stem めき (meki), past めいた (meita))
Inflection
[edit]Conjugation of "めく" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Katsuyōkei ("stem forms") | |||
---|---|---|---|
Mizenkei ("imperfective") | めか | meka | |
Ren’yōkei ("continuative") | めき | meki | |
Shūshikei ("terminal") | めく | meku | |
Rentaikei ("attributive") | めく | meku | |
Kateikei ("hypothetical") | めけ | meke | |
Meireikei ("imperative") | めけ | meke | |
Key constructions | |||
Passive | めかれる | mekareru | |
Causative | めかせる めかす |
mekaseru mekasu | |
Potential | めける | mekeru | |
Volitional | めこう | mekō | |
Negative | めかない | mekanai | |
Negative continuative | めかず | mekazu | |
Formal | めきます | mekimasu | |
Perfective | めいた | meita | |
Conjunctive | めいて | meite | |
Hypothetical conditional | めけば | mekeba |
References
[edit]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 “めく
”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten][1] (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here (Note: Dialectal meanings, etymological theories, pronunciation including modern, dialectal, and historical information, Jōdai Tokushu Kanazukai, historical dictionaries containing this word, and the kanji spellings in those dictionaries have been omitted.)