眺める

Modern form of classical 下二段活用 (shimo nidan katsuyō, “lower bigrade conjugation”) verb 眺む (nagamu).^[1] Related to adjective 長い (nagai, “long”), possibly deriving from 長 (naga, “long”) +‎ む (mu, verbalizing suffix, with an underlying meaning of “becoming that way”). Alternatively, may originally derive from the compound 長眺 (naga me, literally “long watching, long gaze”) found in the Kojiki of 711-712 CE.^[1]

• (Tokyo) ながめる (Nakadaka – )^[2][3]
• IPA^(key):

眺(なが)める • (nagameru) transitive ichidan (stem 眺(なが)め (nagame), past 眺(なが)めた (nagameta))

1. to look at, to view, to gaze

   Often implies for a longer period of time than 見る (miru, “to see, to look at”).

2. to watch something for a continuous period of time
3. to look at and consider something carefully
4. to observe or look off at something in the distance
5. to space out, to be lost in thought

• (look at): 見(み)る (miru)
• (watch): 傍観(ぼうかん)する (bōkan suru), 見詰(みつ)める (mitsumeru)
• (consider): 考慮(こうりょ)する (kōryo suru)
• (look off): 見遣(みや)る (miyaru), 見渡(みわた)す (miwatasu)