より

Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spellings
(archaic)
与利 (archaic)
自り (obsolete)

Originally derived as stem noun form of verb よる (yoru, to arise from, to start from), spelled variously in kanji as 因る, 依る, 由る.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [jo̞ɾʲi]

Particle

より • (yori

  1. than; rather than; more than; more so than
    (うえ)()さんは(ぼく)より()(たか)い。
    Ueda-san wa boku yori se ga takai.
    Mr. Ueda is taller than I am.
    オレンジより(りん)()()き。
    Orenji yori ringo ga suki.
    I like apples more than oranges.
  2. 自り: from, beyond, or past a point in space or time
    ここより(あぶ)ないですよ。
    Koko yori abunai desu yo.
    It's dangerous past / beyond / from here.
    ()(とせ)より(しゅっ)(ぱつ)します。
    Chitose yori shuppatsu shimasu.
    We depart from Chitose.
    (はく)(ぶつ)(かん)(てん)()6(ろく)(がつ) 10(とお)()より(かい)(さい)されます。
    Hakubutsukan no tenji ga rokugatsu tōka yori kaisai saremasu.
    The museum exhibit opens from June 10.
Usage notes

The archaic ligature kana was used for yori from roughly the Edo Period to World War II. It is not used in contemporary Japanese.

Synonyms

Etymology 2

    Calque of European grammatical constructions[1] such as English more, leveraging the from, beyond, past sense of the particle.

    Pronunciation

    Adverb

    より • (yori

    1. more
      より()(れい)(かん)(きょう)
      yori kirei na kankyō
      a cleaner environment
      • 2019 August 4, QuizKnock [QuizKnock], 最弱オセロAIが弱過ぎて絶対勝っちゃうww本気で負けてみた [The weakest Othello AI is so weak that you're guaranteed to win! So we tried to lose]‎[1]:
        より()ちゃった。
        Yori katchatta.
        You've won more.
    Synonyms

    Etymology 3

    Alternative spelling
    寄り

    The (れん)(よう)(けい) (ren'yōkei, stem or continuative form) of the verb () (yoru, to approach, to draw near).

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    より • (yori

    1. leaning
    2. (by extension) tending towards, leaning towards

    Verb

    より • (yori

    1. stem or continuative form of よる (yoru) [godan]

    Further reading

    Etymology 4

    Alternative spellings
    縒り
    撚り

    The (れん)(よう)(けい) (ren'yōkei, stem or continuative form) of the verb 縒る, 撚る (yoru, to twist, to entwine).

    Pronunciation

    • (Tokyo) [yòríꜜ] (Odaka – [2])[1]
    • IPA(key): [jo̞ɾʲi]

    Noun

    より • (yori

    1. twisting
    2. twist, something twisted together

    Verb

    より • (yori

    1. stem or continuative form of よる (yoru) [godan]

    Etymology 5

    Alternative spellings
    拠り
    因り

    The (れん)(よう)(けい) (ren'yōkei, stem or continuative form) of the verb () (yoru, to be based on, to depend on), () (yoru, to be due to, to be caused by).

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): [jo̞ɾʲi]

    Verb

    より • (yori

    1. stem or continuative form of よる (yoru) [godan]

    References

    1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN