あくどい

あくどい

Japanese

Etymology

First cited to 1694.[1]

Ultimate derivation is unclear.

• One reference derives this from prefix あ (a, of uncertain meaing) + 諄い (kudoi, “repetitive, tedious, clunky, long-winded, insistent”).[2]

However, there is no apparent fitting prefix, only 亜 (a-, “sub-, -ous, -ite”, most often found in chemistry or biology).

• Described in another source as deriving from 灰汁 (aku, “lye; harshness [as a characteristic of flavor or personality]”) + suffixing element どい (doi).[3] This doi is probably from now-archaic adjective 利し・鋭し・疾し・敏し (toshi), modernized form とい (toi, “sharp, biting; fierce, vicious; fast, quick”).

Considering the senses, this might be a case of separately derived homophones, or a case where separate partially-similar terms influenced the meaning.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あくど​い [àkúdóꜜì] (Nakadaka – [3])[3][2][4]
• IPA^(key): [a̠kɯ̟ᵝdo̞i]

• Tokyo pitch accent of inflected forms of "あくどい"

Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Continuative (連用形)	あくどく	あく​どく あくど​く	[àkúꜜdòkù] [àkúdóꜜkù]
Terminal (終止形)	あくどい	あくど​い	[àkúdóꜜì]
Attributive (連体形)	あくどい	あくど​い	[àkúdóꜜì]
Key constructions
Informal negative	あくどくない	あく​どくない あくど​くない	[àkúꜜdòkùnàì] [àkúdóꜜkùnàì]
Informal past	あくどかった	あく​どかった あくど​かった	[àkúꜜdòkàttà] [àkúdóꜜkàttà]
Informal negative past	あくどくなかった	あく​どくなかった あくど​くなかった	[àkúꜜdòkùnàkàttà] [àkúdóꜜkùnàkàttà]
Formal	あくどいです	あくど​いです	[àkúdóꜜìdèsù]
Conjunctive	あくどくて	あく​どくて あくど​くて	[àkúꜜdòkùtè] [àkúdóꜜkùtè]
Conditional	あくどければ	あく​どければ あくど​ければ	[àkúꜜdòkèrèbà] [àkúdóꜜkèrèbà]

Adjective

あくどい • (akudoi) -i (adverbial あくどく (akudoku))

1. [from 1946] harsh of manner or personality; vicious, wily, unscrupulous, villainous

   Synonym: (dishonest, unscrupulous) 悪徳 (akutoku)

   あくどい手(しゅ)段(だん)を使(つか)う。

   Akudoi shudan o tsukau.

   They use dirty tricks.

2. [from 1694] persistent or stubborn of manner; cloying of flavor; garish or overdone of color or appearance

   Synonyms: (persistent of manner or flavor) しつこい (shitsukoi), (overdone, garish) どぎつい (dogitsui)

Inflection

Inflection of あくどい

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	あくどかろ	akudokaro
Continuative (連用形)	あくどく	akudoku
Terminal (終止形)	あくどい	akudoi
Attributive (連体形)	あくどい	akudoi
Hypothetical (仮定形)	あくどけれ	akudokere
Imperative (命令形)	あくどかれ	akudokare
Key constructions
Informal negative	あくどくない	akudoku nai
Informal past	あくどかった	akudokatta
Informal negative past	あくどくなかった	akudoku nakatta
Formal	あくどいです	akudoi desu
Formal negative	あくどくないです	akudoku nai desu
Formal past	あくどかったです	akudokatta desu
Formal negative past	あくどくなかったです	akudoku nakatta desu
Conjunctive	あくどくて	akudokute
Conditional	あくどければ	akudokereba
Provisional	あくどかったら	akudokattara
Volitional	あくどかろう	akudokarō
Adverbial	あくどく	akudoku
Degree	あくどさ	akudosa

References

1. “あくどい”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
2. 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
3. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
4. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN