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U+3086, ゆ
HIRAGANA LETTER YU

Hiragana

Japanese

hentaigana form (obsolete variant hiragana form (𛃥). Another form of cursive )
Stroke order
2 strokes

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Derived in the Heian period from writing the man'yōgana kanji in the cursive sōsho style.

Syllable

(yu

  1. The hiragana syllable (yu). Its equivalent in katakana is (yu). It is the thirty-seventh syllable in the gojūon order; its position is (ya-gyō u-dan, row ya, section u).
See also

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of – see the following entries.
J
(possibly obsolete) yuzu (Citrus junos)
a surname
(This term, (yu), is the hiragana spelling of the above term.)
For a list of all kanji read as , see Category:Japanese kanji read as ゆ.)

(The following entries are uncreated: , , , , , , , , .)

Etymology 3

For pronunciation and definitions of – see the following entries.
3
warm or hot water
bathwater
a hot spring
a medicinal bath
a medicinal decoction
bilgewater
molten metal used in casting or founding
urine
2
a bow, a bow shape
S
(Shinto) holy, pure, sacred
(This term, (yu), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.)
For a list of all kanji read as , see Category:Japanese kanji read as ゆ.)

Etymology 4

From Old Japanese.

Suffix

(-yu

  1. (Classical Japanese) attaches to the 未然形 (mizenkei, irrealis form) of verbs
    1. expresses passiveness
    2. expresses possibility
    3. expresses natural, spontaneous occurrence
Conjugation
Derived terms

Okinawan

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *wo, from Proto-Japonic *wo.

Cognate with standard Japanese (wo).

Pronunciation

Particle

(yu

  1. (archaic, literary, with transitive verb) accusative case particle
    (たる)(うら)みとぅてぃ()ちゅが(はま)()(どぅり)
    Taru-yu uramituti nachuga hamachiduri.
    Who do you hate when you sing, the plover on the beach?
  2. (archaic, literary, with intransitive verb) away from, off
  3. (archaic, literary, with intransitive verb) along, following a specified route, track, orbit, etc.

Usage notes

In modern Okinawan parlance this accusative particle is simply omitted from direct objects and the like, turning the language into a marked nominative language.

References

  • ” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.
  • ” in Okinawa Center of Language Study, Shuri-Naha Dialect Dictionary (archived; reopens 2024).

Old Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spelling

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

(-yu)

  1. attaches to the 未然形 (mizenkei, irrealis form) of verbs
    1. expresses passiveness
    2. expresses possibility
    3. expresses natural, spontaneous occurrence
Usage notes
  • The alternative kanji spelling of this verb suffix derives from Middle Chinese (ʃɨʌX), a prefix attached to verbs to form noun phrases, indicating the patient of the verb, similar to a passive participle. In writing, this is used prefixally as in Chinese, by adding it before the kanji of the verb. The resulting compound is read as the irrealis stem of the verb plus the terminal (yu) or attributive ゆる (yuru), depending on the grammar required by the syntax. Examples are 所謂 (ipayuru), 所念 (omopoyu), 所見 (mi1yu), 所聞 (ki1ko2yu), 所知 (sirayu).
Conjugation
Derived terms
Descendants
  • Japanese: (-yu)える (-eru)

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Particle

(yu)

  1. since
  2. through
    • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 3, poem 318:
      , text here
      田兒之浦打出眞白不盡高嶺爾雪波零家留
      Tago1-no2-ura yu utiidete mi1reba ma-siro1 ni so2 Puzi no2 takane ni yuki1 pa purike1ru
      We passed through Tago Bay while looking at the truly-white peak of Fuji from the falling snow.
  3. by (means of)
  4. from
Derived terms
Descendants

Etymology 3

From Proto-Japonic *yu.

Noun

(yu)

  1. : hot water, hot spring