ゐ

See also: ゐ゙ and 为

ゐ U+3090, ゐ HIRAGANA LETTER WI ← わ [U+308F] Hiragana ゑ → [U+3091]

Japanese

Stroke order

Etymology 1

Derived in the Heian period from writing the man'yōgana kanji 為 in the cursive sōsho style.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [β̞i]

• IPA^(key): [i]

(rare)

Syllable

ゐ • (i) 

1. (archaic) The hiragana syllable ゐ (i). Its equivalent in katakana is ヰ (i). It is the forty-fifth syllable in the gojūon order; its position is わ行い段 (wa-gyō i-dan, “row wa, section i”).

Usage notes

This is now an obsolete hiragana. It was replaced by い during the Japanese script reform in 1946. Compare ゑ, which was replaced at the same time.

See also

• (Hiragana) 平仮名; あぁ, いぃ, うぅゔ, えぇ, おぉ, かゕが, きぎ, くぐ, けゖげ, こご, さざ, しじ, すず, せぜ, そぞ, ただ, ちぢ, つっづ, てで, とど, な, に, ぬ, ね, の, はばぱ, ひびぴ, ふぶぷ, へべぺ, ほぼぽ, ま, み, む, め, も, やゃ, ゆゅ, よょ, ら, り, る, れ, ろ, わゎ, ゐ, ゑ, を, ん, ー, ゝ, ゞ, ゟ
• うぃ (wi)

Etymology 2

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

【井い】4 [proper noun] a surname

(This term, ゐ (i), is the hiragana spelling of the above term.)

【井い】4 [noun] well (water source)

【委い】3 [affix] entrust; leave to [affix] cast aside; abandon [affix] detailed [affix] Short for 委員会 (iinkai, “committee”).

【位い】4 [affix] rank, place [counter] rank, place [counter] decimal place [counter] ghosts

【囲い】5 [counter] counter for the amount that can be encircled in one's arms, used as a rough measurement of circumference (roughly 1.5 meters) [affix] surround; encircle; enclosure [affix] circumference

【胃い】6 [noun] stomach [proper noun] (Chinese astronomy) Stomach Mansion (one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions) [affix] gastric; of or relating to the stomach

【遺い】6 [noun] something fallen, something lost or left behind [affix] be left, remain [affix] leave behind after one's death, bequeath [affix] leave behind, forget [affix] give, present [affix] let leak

【威い】S [noun] power; might; strength; authority [affix] power; might; strength; authority; dignity; majesty

【為い】S [noun] the twelfth string on a 箏 (koto, “Japanese zither”) [noun] a fingering method for playing the 尺八 (shakuhachi, “Japanese endblown flute”) [affix] do, perform, carry out

【畏い】S [affix] fear [affix] respect

【唯い】S [interjection] polite particle used to respond to elders: yes [affix] polite particle used to respond to elders: yes

【尉い】S [affix] a watchman or military officer in the ancient Chinese military [affix] A military rank.

【萎い】S [affix] wither; droop

【偉い】S [noun] (literary) greatness [adjective] (literary) great [affix] great, excellent, magnificent, extraordinary

【彙い】S [affix] to sort and collect; collection, compilation, group

【違い】S [affix] differ; vary [affix] go against; run counter to; disobey

【維い】S [affix] hold together; keep; maintain [affix] what holds together; net, supportive

【慰い】S [affix] comfort; console

【緯い】S [noun] weft, woof [noun] parallels of latitude

【帷い】H [noun] a curtain or hanging that covers all sides [affix] hanging; curtain

【蝟い】H [noun] the Chinese name of the 針鼠 (harinezumi, “hedgehog”)

【亥い】J [proper noun] the Boar, the twelfth of the twelve Earthly Branches

(This term, ゐ (wi), is a historical kana spelling of the above terms.)

【居い】5 [verb] imperfective and stem (or continuative) forms of いる (iru) [ichidan]

(This term, ゐ (i), is the hiragana spelling of the above term.)

【居い】5 [noun] being (in a place), sitting (in a place); a seat

【猪い】J [noun] a pig or wild boar

【堰い】J [noun] a dike or levee for containing water

(This term, ゐ (wi), is a historical kana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as ゐ, see Category:Japanese kanji read as ゐ.)