雖も

Japanese

Kanji in this term
雖
いえど Hyōgaiji
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
言えども (proscribed)

Etymology 1

From Old Japanese. Attested since at least the Man'yōshū of 759.

Analyzable as 仮定形(かていけい) (kateikei)/已然形(いぜんけい) (izenkei) of verb 言(い)う (iu, to say) + inflectional suffix ど (do, indicating contrasting conjunction) + particle も (mo).

The kanji spelling is from Middle Chinese via kanbun.

Up through the Heian period, the reading ifu to mo was used specifically for hypothetical statements, while the iedo mo reading was used specifically for conditional statements. Over time, this distinction eroded, and by the Edo period, the iedo mo reading was used for both cases.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) いえ​ども [ìéꜜdòmò] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ie̞do̞mo̞]

Conjunction

雖(いえど)も • (iedomo) ^{←いへども (ifedomo)?}

1. [from 700s] (literary) even though; despite; notwithstanding

Usage notes

Some style guides may proscribe the alternative spelling 言えども in formal contexts.

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
雖
いうと Hyōgaiji
irregular

Alternative spelling
言うとも

From Old Japanese. Attested since at least the Man'yōshū of 759.

Analyzable as verb 言(い)う (iu, “to say”) + particle と (to) + particle も (mo).

Up through the Heian period, the reading ifu to mo was used specifically for hypothetical statements, while the iedo mo reading was used specifically for conditional statements. Over time, this distinction eroded, and by the Edo period, the iedo mo reading was used for both cases.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [iɯ̟ᵝto̞mo̞]
• IPA^(key): [jɯ̟ᵝːto̞mo̞]

Conjunction

雖(いうと)も • (iutomo) ^{←いふとも (ifutomo)?}

1. [from 700s] (literary, archaic, possibly obsolete) even though; despite; notwithstanding