うれう

Japanese

Alternative spellings
憂う 愁う 患う

Etymology

Attested from the Edo Period. Thought to be scribal error for 憂(うれ)える (ureeru, “be anxious”). The 9th century poem 貧窮問答歌 (Unkyū mondō shi “Dialog on poverty”) contains the line 足の方に 囲みゐて 憂吟, in which the last word could be read as うれふ, though this reading is disputed.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) うれう [ùréꜜù] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ɾe̞ɯ̟]

Verb

うれう • (ureu) ^{←うれふ (urefu)?}

1. to worry, be anxious, lament

   Synonym: 憂える (ureeru)

2. (transitive) to worry (about), be distressed (by)

   それは憂(うれ)うべきことだ。

   Sore wa ureu-beki koto da.

   That is something to lament.

   (literally, “That is something one should be distressed by.”)