めく
Japanese
Etymology
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
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
| 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
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
めく • (meku) intransitive godan (stem めき (meki), past めいた (meita))
- [early 1800s–???] (archaic, possibly obsolete) to look like something
Inflection
| 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
- ↑ 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, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here