わい
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See also: ワイ
Japanese[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 私 |
Generally regarded as a shift from わし (washi), itself from 私 (watashi, “I, me”).[1][2] First cited in a text from 1920,[1] but likely older.
The second-person sense of you likely arose via the same general indirection mechanisms that gave rise to all Japanese personal pronouns. Consider also ancient 汝 (na) or more modern 己 (onore), used for both first- and second-person referral. This usage is first cited in a text from 1923,[1] but is likely older.
Pronunciation[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
- (dialect, Kansai, Kagoshima; or Internet slang) I, me (first-person pronoun, mainly used by males)
- you (second-person pronoun, used when addressing an equal or inferior)
- Synonym: お前 (omae)
Etymology 2[edit]
Particle[edit]
- (dated or dialectal) A particle used in the end of sentences to indicate admiration or emotion. Slightly stronger than わ (wa).
Usage notes[edit]
Mainly used during the Edo period. Now only used by elderly males or in dialectal speech.
See also[edit]
Etymology 3[edit]
The reading of various kanji.