尊い

⟨taputo₁ki⟩ → */taɸutokʲi/ → /toːtoi/

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.^[1] From the 連(れん)体(たい)形(けい) (rentaikei, “attributive form”) of Early Middle Japanese adjective 尊(とうと)し (tōtoshi), with the medial /-k-/ falling out.

Possibly derived from 太い (futoi, “fat”).^[1]

• (Tokyo) とーとい [tòótóꜜì] (Nakadaka – [3])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [to̞ːto̞i]

尊(とうと)い • (tōtoi) ^{←たふとい (tafutoi)?}-i (adverbial 尊(とうと)く (tōtoku))

1. noble; exalted; sacred
2. precious; valuable
3. (Internet slang) glorious; marvelous; wonderful (of a higher level of praise than 萌え (moe))
   • 2022, “可愛くてごめん”‎^[1]performed by HoneyWorks [HoneyWorks] and 早見沙織:

     Chu(チュ)！尊(とうと)くてごめん

     Chu! Tōtokute gomen

     Smooch! Sorry for being so darn cute

• (Internet slang):
  • 尊死(とうとし) (tōtoshi)
  • てぇてぇ (tētē)
  • 尊(とうと)み (tōtomi)
• 尊(とうと)ぶ (tōtobu)

Shift from the classical form of 尊(とうと)い (tōtoi) above: たふとし /tafutosi/ → たつとし /taQtosi/.

• (Tokyo) たっとい [tàttóꜜì] (Nakadaka – [3])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ta̠t̚to̞i]

尊(たっと)い • (tattoi) ^{←たつとい (tatutoi)?}-i (adverbial 尊(たっと)く (tattoku))

1. noble; exalted; sacred
2. precious; valuable
   • 1914, 夏目漱石 [Natsume Sōseki], chapter 43, in こゝろ [Kokoro], 下 先生と遺書 [Sensei's Testament]:

     彼(かれ)には投(な)げ出(だ)す事(こと)のできないほど尊(たっと)い過去(かこ)があったからです。

     Kare ni wa nagedasu koto no dekinai hodo tattoi kako ga atta kara desu.

     It was because he had a past too precious to throw away.

• “尊い”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[2] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026