眩い

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
まばゆ
Hyōgai
kun'yomi
Alternative spellings
目映い
目映ゆい

From the 連体形 (rentaikei, attributive form) of Early Middle Japanese adjective 眩し (mabayushi), with the medial /-k-/ falling out.

By surface analysis () (ma-, connective form of () (me, eye)) + ()ゆい (hayui, obsolete word meaning bright; dazzling). The hayui changes to bayui as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

Pronunciation

Adjective

(まばゆ) • (mabayui-i (adverbial (まばゆ) (mabayuku))

  1. glaring, dazzling
  2. dazzlingly beautiful
Inflection

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
まぶ
Hyōgai

Adjectivisation of まぶ (mabu).[1]

Pronunciation

Adjective

(まぶ) • (mabui-i (adverbial (まぶ) (mabuku))

  1. (colloquial) cute, pretty
Usage notes

This term is often spelled in kana.

Inflection

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN