けり

See also: げり

Japanese

Etymology 1

⟨ki₁ ari⟩ → ⟨ke₁ri⟩ → */kʲeri/ → /keri/

Contraction of 来 (ki, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of classical verb 来 (ku), modern 来る (kuru), “to come”) +‎ あり (ari, “to be”), or of き (-ki, the Old Japanese and classical Japanese verb auxiliary suffix indicating past recollection) +‎ あり (ari, “to be”).^[1]^[2]^[3]

Although Japanese sources are consistent in listing past-recollective auxiliary suffix き (-ki) as a possible root,^[1]^[2]^[3] this auxiliary notably had no known 連用形 (ren'yōkei), the conjugation form required for an inflecting word (such as a verb or adjective) to compound with another inflecting word. Thus, the 来 (ki) derivation seems more likely.

The “ending” sense is an extension of the first suffix sense because it is often used at the end of a poem.^[2]^[3]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) けり [kèríꜜ] (Odaka – [2])^[3] as a noun
IPA^(key): [ke̞ɾʲi]

Suffix

けり • (-keri) ^†-ri

(Classical Japanese) indicating past tense: -ed
- c. late 9th–mid-10th century, Taketori Monogatari
  今(いま)は昔(むかし)竹(たけ)取(とり)の翁(おきな)といふものありけり
  ima wa mukashi taketori no okina to iu mono arikeri
  Long ago there was an old man who cut bamboo.
(Classical Japanese) indicating the speaker has just realized something
- 905–914, Kokin Wakashū (book 2, poem 90)
  ふるさととなりにし奈(な)良(ら)の都(みやこ)にも色(いろ)はかはらず花(はな)は咲(さ)きけり
  furusato to narinishi Nara no miyako ni mo iro wa kawarazu hana wa sakikeri
  Even in the capital of Nara, now an older town, the flowers bloomed just as colorfully, didn't they.

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "けり" (ラ行変格活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	けら	kera
Continuative (連用形)	けり	keri
Terminal (終止形)	けり	keri
Attributive (連体形)	ける	keru
Realis (已然形)	けれ	kere
Imperative (命令形)	けれ	kere
Key constructions
Negative	けらず	kerazu
Contrasting conjunction	けれど	keredo
Causal conjunction	ければ	kereba
Conditional conjunction	けらば	keraba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	けりき	keriki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	けりけり	kerikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	けりつ	keritu
Perfect tense (natural event)	けりぬ	kerinu
Perfect-continuative tense	けりたり^[1]	keritari
Volitional	けらむ	keramu
^[1]Often proscribed due to a redundancy of having 2 あり.

Usage notes

Follows the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of inflectable words.
The first sense is mostly used when the speaker was not a witness, but was rather told about the event described, as opposed to き (-ki). But, it can also be used to describe direct experiences.
The second sense is most notably used at the end of a poem to denote an exclamatory tone.
This word is morphologically an inflectional suffix. It is classified as 助動詞 (jodōshi, “auxiliary verb”) in traditional Japanese grammar.

Derived terms

ざりけり (zarikeri)
ずけり (-zukeri)
たりけり (tarikeri)
てけり (-tekeri), てんげり (-tengeri)
なりけり (narikeri)
にけり (-nikeri)
よりけり (yorikeri)
りけり (-rikeri)

Idioms

色(いろ)男(をとこ)金(かね)と力(ちから)は無(な)かりけり (iro otoko kane to chikara wa nakarikeri)

Noun

けり • (keri)

an ending, conclusion

Idioms

けりを付(つ)ける (keri o tsukeru)

Etymology 2

Unknown. Possibly metonymy from 蹴り (keri, “kicking; kicker”) from the verb 蹴る (keru, “to kick”). Compare English kicks.

Appears to be specific to northern Honshū.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ke̞ɾʲi]

Noun

けり • (keri)

(dialect, Akita, Tsugaru) footwear, footgear: a shoe, (a pair of) shoes

Etymology 3

Readings of various kanji.

Noun

けり or ケリ • (keri)

鳧, 計里, 水札: grey-headed lapwing
蹴り: kick

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Old Japanese

Etymology 1

Contraction of 來 (ki₁, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 來 (ku), “to come”) +‎ あり (ari, “to be”), or of き (-ki₁, verb auxiliary suffix indicating past recollection) +‎ あり (ari, “to be”).^[1]^[2]^[3]

Although Japanese sources are consistent in listing past-recollective auxiliary suffix き (-ki₁) as a possible root,^[1]^[2]^[3] this auxiliary notably had no known 連用形 (ren'yōkei), the conjugation form required for an inflecting word (such as a verb or adjective) to compound with another inflecting word. Thus, the 來 (ki₁) derivation seems more likely.

Suffix

けり (-ke₁ri)

auxiliary verb indicating past tense: -ed
- 711–712, Kojiki, middle volume (Empress Jingū; poem 40):
  許能美岐袁迦美祁牟比登波曾能都豆美宇須邇多弖弖宇多比都都迦美祁禮迦母麻比都都迦美祁禮加母許能美岐能美岐能阿夜邇宇多陀怒斯佐佐
  ko₂no₂ mi₁-ki₁ wo kami₁ke₁mu pi₁to₂ pa so₂no₂ tudumi₁ usu ni tatete utapi₁tutu kami₁ke₁re ka mo₂ mapi₁tutu kami₁ke₁re ka mo₂ ko₂no₂ mi₁-ki₁ no₂ mi₁-ki₁ no₂ aya ni uta-dano₁si sasa
  The man who brewed this fine sake surely used his great drum for a brewing vessel. Did he sing and sing while it brewed? Did he dance and dance while it brewed? For this fine sake, fine sake, makes us all quite merry! Good fortune!^[4]
auxiliary verb indicating that the speaker has just realized something
- 711–712, Kojiki, upper volume (Yamasachihiko and Umisachihiko; poem 7):
  阿加陀麻波袁佐閇比迦禮杼斯良多麻能岐美何余曾比斯多布斗久阿理祁理
  akadama pa wo sape₂ pi₁karedo₂ siratama no₂ ki₁mi₁ ga yo₂so₂pi₁si taputo₁ku arike₁ri
  Red jewels impart their gleam even to the cord that binds them; but your adornment, radiant as white jewels, is truly awesome.^[5]
auxiliary verb indicating that the speaker already realized something and points out a rationale: that's why it was...
- c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 2, poem 118:
  
  嘆管大夫之戀禮許曾吾髮結乃漬而奴禮計禮
  nage₂ki₁tutu masurawo no₂ ko₁ no₂ ko₁pure ko₂so₂ waga yupi₁kami₁ no₂ pi₁tite nureke₁re
  It is precisely because a distinguished man like you longs for me that my hair is drenched and come undone.^[6]
This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Usage notes

Follows the 連用形 (ren’yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of inflectable words.

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "けり" (irregular)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	けら	kera
Continuative (連用形)		-
Terminal (終止形)	けり	keri
Attributive (連体形)	ける	keru
Realis (已然形)	けれ	kere
Imperative (命令形)		-
Key constructions
Negative	けらず	kerazu
Contrasting conjunction	けれど	keredo
Causal conjunction	ければ	kereba
Conditional conjunction	けらば	keraba

Derived terms

なりけり (narike₁ri)

Descendants

Japanese: けり (-keri)

Etymology 2

⟨ki₁ ari⟩ → ⟨ke₁ri⟩

Verb

けり (ke₁ri)

著り, 服り: wearing
來り: coming

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "けり" (ラ行変格活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	けら	kera
Continuative (連用形)	けり	keri
Terminal (終止形)	けり	keri
Attributive (連体形)	ける	keru
Realis (已然形)	けれ	kere
Imperative (命令形)	けれ	kere
Key constructions
Negative	けらず	kerazu
Contrasting conjunction	けれど	keredo
Causal conjunction	ければ	kereba
Conditional conjunction	けらば	keraba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	けりき	keriki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	けりけり	kerikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	けりつ	keritu
Perfect tense (natural event)	けりぬ	kerinu
Perfect-continuative tense	けりたり^[1]	keritari
Volitional	けらむ	keramu
^[1]Often proscribed due to a redundancy of having 2 あり.

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ Jin'ichi Konishi (2017) Nicholas Teele, transl., Earl Roy Miner, editor, A History of Japanese Literature, Volume 1: The Archaic and Ancient Ages (Volume 4935 of Princeton Legacy Library), Princeton University Press, →ISBN, page 151
^ Clifton Wilson Royston (1974) The poetic and poetry criticism of Fujiwara Shunzei (1114-1204), University of Michigan, page 491
^ Gananath Obeyesekere (1998) Alf Hiltebeitel, Barbara D. Miller, editors, Hair: Its Power and Meaning in Asian Cultures, illustrated edition, SUNY Press, →ISBN, page 95

[KDJ-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJS-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[KDJ-4] 1.0 ^1.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJS-5] 2.0 ^2.1 Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR-6] 3.0 ^3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[7] Jin'ichi Konishi (2017) Nicholas Teele, transl., Earl Roy Miner, editor, A History of Japanese Literature, Volume 1: The Archaic and Ancient Ages (Volume 4935 of Princeton Legacy Library), Princeton University Press, →ISBN, page 151

[8] Clifton Wilson Royston (1974) The poetic and poetry criticism of Fujiwara Shunzei (1114-1204), University of Michigan, page 491

[9] Gananath Obeyesekere (1998) Alf Hiltebeitel, Barbara D. Miller, editors, Hair: Its Power and Meaning in Asian Cultures, illustrated edition, SUNY Press, →ISBN, page 95

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Japanese

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Suffix

Conjugation

Usage notes

Derived terms

Idioms

Noun

Idioms

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Further reading

Etymology 3

Noun

References

Old Japanese

Etymology 1

Suffix

Usage notes

Conjugation

Derived terms

Descendants

Etymology 2

Verb

Conjugation

References