ろう

Japanese

Etymology 1

From classical らむ (-ramu).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɾo̞ː]

Suffix

ろう • (-rō) ^{←らう (rau)?}

1. (inflectional suffix, dated) Forms the conjectural.

   でなかろう ― de nakarou ― probably is not (=modern ではないだろう (de wa nai darō))

   でなかったろう ― de nakattarō ― probably was not (=modern ではなかっただろう (de wa nakatta darō))

   誰(だれ)であろうとも ― dare de arō to mo ― (no matter) whoever it may be

   よかろう。 ― Yokarō. ― Fine. / Very well. / As you wish. (=modern いいだろう (ii darō))

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of ろう – see the following entries.

【蝋】H [noun] wax

【籠】S [noun] Alternative spelling of 牢 (rō): a jail, prison; a cage; food (usually meat) used in offerings [affix] basket [affix] bring in [affix] seclude oneself

【郎】S [suffix] suffixes certain male names

【浪】S [counter] failing the annual university entrance exams (see 浪人)

(This term, ろう (rō), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as ろう, see Category:Japanese kanji read as ろう.)

(The following entries are uncreated: 老, 楼, 櫳, 陋, 隴.)