まい
JapaneseEdit
Etymology 1Edit
Kana spelling of various words.
CounterEdit
- 枚: counter for flat thin objects or sheets
NounEdit
Proper nounEdit
- 真以: A female given name
- 麻衣: A female given name
- 舞: A female given name
PrefixEdit
Etymology 2Edit
From earlier まじい (majī), from classical まじ (maji).
SuffixEdit
- (literary) will not, is not, is not, cannot be (indicates denial)
- いや、そんなことはあるまい。
- Iya, sonna koto wa aru mai.
- Uh, no, there couldn't possibly be such thing.
- いや、そんなことはあるまい。
Usage notesEdit
Inflectional classes in the まい form
| Word | dictionary form | + -nu | historical kana |
|---|---|---|---|
| 書く | かく (kaku) | かくまい (kakumai) | |
| 泳ぐ | およぐ (oyogu) | およぐまい (oyogumai) | |
| 話す | はなす (hanasu) | はなすまい (hanasumai) | |
| 待つ | まつ (matsu) | まつまい (matsumai) | |
| 死ぬ | しぬ (shinu) | しぬまい (shinumai) | |
| 呼ぶ | よぶ (yobu) | よぶまい (yobumai) | |
| 読む | よむ (yomu) | よむまい (yomumai) | |
| 作る | つくる (tsukuru) | つくるまい (tsukurumai) | |
| 買う | かう (kau) | かうまい (kaumai) | かふまい |
| ichidan verbs (type 2) | |||
| 見る | みる (miru) | みまい (mimai) | |
| 開ける | あける (akeru) | あけまい (akemai) | |
| irregular verbs (type 3) | |||
| 来る | くる (kuru) | こまい (komai) くまい (kumai) くるまい (kurumai) きまい (kimai) |
|
| する | する (suru) | しまい (shimai) (volition) するまい (surumai) (conjectural) すまい (sumai) (formal) せまい (semai) |
|
- This word is morphologically a clitic. It is classified as 助動詞 (jodōshi, “auxiliary verb”) in traditional Japanese grammar.
- It attaches to the terminal form of godan verbs, but the imperfective form of ichidan verbs (although the terminal form of ichidan verbs is also seen). For the irregular verbs 来る and する, all of こまい, くまい, くるまい, しまい (volitional), すまい, and するまい (conjecture) have seen in use. This suffix always comes last, even after ます (-masu). (The usage with ます (-masu) is dated and uncommon now.)
- Today largely replaced by a negative + だろう.