明後日

明後日

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
明	後	日
あさって
Grade: 2	Grade: 2	Grade: 1
jukujikun

/asate/ → /asat̚te/

Shift from earlier asate (see Etymology 2 below).[1][2]

The kanji spelling is from myōgonichi (see Etymology 3 below).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あさ​って [àsáꜜttè] (Nakadaka – [2])[3]
• IPA^(key): [a̠sa̠t̚te̞]

Noun

明後日(あさって) • (asatte) 

1. (colloquial) the day after tomorrow

Derived terms

• 明日(あす)明後日(あさって) (asu-asatte)
• 明明後日(しあさって) (shiasatte)
• 弥(や)の明後日(あさって) (yanoasatte), 弥(や)な明後日(あさって) (yanaasatte)

Idioms

• 明後日(あさって)の方(ほう)を向(む)く (asatte no hō o muku)

Proverbs

• 明後日(あさって)紺(こう)屋(や)に今(こん)度(ど)鍛冶(かじ)屋(や) (asatte kōya ni kondo kajiya)
• 紺(こう)屋(や)の明後日(あさって) (kōya no asatte)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
明	後	日
あさて
Grade: 2	Grade: 2	Grade: 1
jukujikun

/asu sarite/ → /asːarʉte/ → /asate/

Apparently recorded in the 名語記 (Myōgoki) etymology dictionary of 1263 as a shift from asusate, in turn from 明日去りて (asu sarite), itself a compound of 明日 (asu, “tomorrow”) +‎ 去りて (sarite, modern 去って (satte), the conjunctive form of 去る (saru), “to pass”).[4]

The kanji spelling is from myōgonichi (see Etymology 3).

Noun

明後日(あさて) • (asate) 

1. (archaic) the day after tomorrow
   • c. 1001–1014, Murasaki Shikibu, Genji Monogatari (Akashi)

     あさてばかりになりて、例(れい)のやうにいたくもふかさで渡(わた)りたまへり。

     Asate bakari ni narite, rei no yō ni itaku mo fukasa de watari-tamaeri.

     (please add an English translation of this example)

Derived terms

• 明後日(あさって) (asatte, see above)
• 明日(あす)明後日(あさて) (asu-asate)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
明	後	日
みょう Grade: 2	ご Grade: 2	にち Grade: 1
goon

From 明後 (myōgo-, “the ... after next ...”) +‎ 日 (nichi, “day”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) みょーご​にち [myòógóꜜnìchì] (Nakadaka – [3])[3]
• IPA^(key): [mʲo̞ːɡo̞ɲ̟it͡ɕi]

Noun

明(みょう)後(ご)日(にち) • (myōgonichi) ^{←みやうごにち (myaugoniti)?}

1. (formal) the day after tomorrow

   Synonym: 明後 (myōgo)

Derived terms

• 明(みょう)明(みょう)後(ご)日(にち) (myōmyōgonichi)

Coordinate terms

時 (“Time”)
	~	-2	-1	0	+1	+2	Continual
Day	日	一昨日	昨日	今日	明日	明後日	毎日
Morning	朝	一昨朝	昨朝	今朝	明朝	—	毎朝
Night	晩	一昨晩	昨晩	今晩	明晩	—	毎晩
Week	週	先々週	先週	今週	来週	再来週	毎週
Month	月	先々月	先月	今月	来月	再来月	毎月
Year	年	一昨年	去年	今年	来年	再来年	毎年

See also

• 翌(よく)翌(よく)日(じつ) (yokuyokujitsu)

References

1. 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
3. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
4. 語源由来辞典 (Gogen Yurai Jiten, “Etymology Derivation Dictionary”) (in Japanese), entry available online here