素晴らしい

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Japanese

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Kanji in this term

Grade: 5
(ateji)
は > ば
Grade: 2
(ateji)
goon kun'yomi
Alternative spelling
素晴しい

Etymology

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Originally derived from (すば) (subaru, to shrink, to get smaller, archaic) + しい (-shii, adjectivizing suffix evoking the quality of the suffixed term), from the sense of “that which makes one shrink away”. Compare verbs 窄まる (subomaru), 窄める (subomeru). The kanji spelling is an example of ateji (当て字).

The initial sense was strongly negative, and this usage continued until at least the mid-1800s in the Edo period, since when the meaning shifted to a strong positive instead.[1][2][3] Compare the development of English terrific, of strongly positive meanings, from terrify, of strongly negative meanings.

The modern kanji spelling could be considered an example of ateji (当て字).

Pronunciation

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  • Tokyo pitch accent of inflected forms of 「素晴らしい
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Continuative (連用形) 素晴らしく ばらしく
ばらし
[sùbáráꜜshìkù]
[sùbáráshíꜜkù]
Terminal (終止形) 素晴らしい ばらし [sùbáráshíꜜì]
Attributive (連体形) 素晴らしい ばらし [sùbáráshíꜜì]
Key constructions
Informal negative 素晴らしくない ばらしくない
ばらしくない
[sùbáráꜜshìkùnàì]
[sùbáráshíꜜkùnàì]
Informal past 素晴らしかった ばらしかった
ばらしかった
[sùbáráꜜshìkàttà]
[sùbáráshíꜜkàttà]
Informal negative past 素晴らしくなかった ばらしくなかった
ばらしくなかった
[sùbáráꜜshìkùnàkàttà]
[sùbáráshíꜜkùnàkàttà]
Formal 素晴らしいです ばらしいです [sùbáráshíꜜìdèsù]
Conjunctive 素晴らしくて ばらしくて
ばらしくて
[sùbáráꜜshìkùtè]
[sùbáráshíꜜkùtè]
Conditional 素晴らしければ ばらしければ
ばらしければ
[sùbáráꜜshìkèrèbà]
[sùbáráshíꜜkèrèbà]

Adjective

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()()らしい (subarashii-i (adverbial ()()らしく (subarashiku))

  1. terrific, wonderful, splendid, grand, magnificent
  2. (obsolete) extreme, terrible

Inflection

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Synonyms

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Descendants

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  • Chinese: 斯巴拉西 (sībālāxī)

References

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  1. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. 2.0 2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ^ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN