きらり

Japanese

Etymology

きら (kira, root of the onomatopoeia) + り (-ri, suffix to make adverb).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) きら​り [kìráꜜrì] (Nakadaka – [2])
• (Tokyo) きらり​ [kìráríꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [kʲiɾa̠ɾʲi]

Adverb

きらり or キラリ • (kirari) 

1. (onomatopoeia) a beautiful or sharp momentary glow: glitteringly, brightly

   Synonym: ぴかり (pikari)

   • 1220, 慈円 (Jien), 愚管抄 [Gukanshō]:

     㝡(さい)後(ご)ノ御(おん)ヲモイ人(びと)ニテ候(さうらひ)ケル光(みつ)安(やす)ガムスメノ土(と)佐(さ)殿(どの)トイヒケル女(によう)房(ばう)ノ。新(しん)院(ゐん)ノチカノリガ目(め)ヲウチツブサセ給(たまひ)タルト申(まうし)アイ候(さうらう)ト申(まうし)タリケルヲ聞(きか)セヲハシマシテ。御(おん)目(め)ヲキラリト見(み)アゲテヲハシマシタリケルガ。マサシキ㝡(さい)後(ご)ニテヒキイラセ給(たまひ)ニケルトゾ人(ひと)ハカタリ侍(はべり)シ。

     Saigo no on-omoibito nite sōraikeru Ｍitsuyasu ga musume no Tosadono to iikeru nyōbō no, shin'in no Chikanori ga me o uchi-tsubusase-tamaitaru to mōshi-ai-sōrō to mōshitarikeru o kikase-owashimashite, on-me o kirari to miagete owashimashitarikeru ga, masashiki saigo nite hikiirase-tamainikeru to zo hito wa katari-haberishi.

     A court lady named Tosadono, the last favourite mistress [of the ex-Emperor Toba], daughter of [Minamoto no] Mitsuyasu, told him "they speak to each other about that the new ex-emperor (Emperor Sutoku) made [Taira no] Chikanori blind", then His Imperial Majesty made his eyes looking up brightly; exactly that was his last moment and His Imperial Majesty drew his last breath; that is what people say.

2. (obsolete) something became clear: clearly

   Synonym: はっきり (hakkiri)

   • 1477, 桃源瑞仙 (Tōgen Zuisen), 史記抄 [Shikishō]:

     是(これ)デキラリトキコヘタゾ

     kore de kirari to kikoeta zo

     Now I can hear it clearly.

Related terms

• きらきら (kirakira)
• きらっと (kiratto)
• きらめく (kirameku)