わい
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]See い (i).
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.