邂逅

Possibly an expression reduplication in Old Chinese (Baxter and Sagart, 1998). The original meaning may be “meet; interact” or “carefree”.

Schuessler considers this a derivative of 解 (OC *kreːʔ, *kreːs, *ɡreːʔ, *ɡreːs, “to loosen”) and 懈 (OC *kreːs, “lazy, remiss”), citing the sense of “carefree and happy” in Shijing. Numerous variant forms are found throughout history.

邂逅

1. to run into somebody by chance (usually pleasantly); to encounter coincidentally

   等車的他邂逅了一名女孩。 [MSC, trad.]
   等车的他邂逅了一名女孩。 [MSC, simp.]

   Děng chē de tā xièhòu le yī míng nǚhái.

   He encountered a girl while waiting for a bus.

   如一場美麗的邂逅 [MSC, trad.]
   如一场美丽的邂逅 [MSC, simp.]

   rú yī chǎng měilì de xièhòu

   as if a beautiful chance encounter

   • 邂逅相遇，適我願兮。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     邂逅相遇，适我愿兮。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Xièhòu xiāngyù, shì wǒ yuàn xī.

     We met together accidentally, and so my desire was satisfied.

邂逅

1. (literary) joyous and carefree
2. (literary) accidental; coincidental; adventitious

• (Tokyo) かいこー (Heiban – )^[1]
• IPA^(key):

邂(かい)逅(こう) • (kaikō) 

1. chance encounter

邂(かい)逅(こう)する • (kaikō suru) intransitive suru (stem 邂(かい)逅(こう)し (kaikō shi), past 邂(かい)逅(こう)した (kaikō shita))

1. meet by chance
   • 1905–06, Natsume Sōseki, I Am a Cat (text here):

     その後(ご)吾(わが)輩(はい)は度々黒(たびたびくろ)と邂逅(かいこう)する。

     Sono go wagahai wa tabitabi kuro to kaikō suru.

     After that, I bumped into the black cat from time to time.