足掻き

Japanese

Alternative forms

• 足掻 (less common)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
足	掻
あ Grade: 1	かき > がき Hyōgai
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
足搔き (kyūjitai)

The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 足掻く (agaku, “to paw at the ground; to struggle”), itself a compound of 足 (a, “foot”, Old Japanese form, now only found in compounds) +‎ 掻く (kaku, “to scratch”). The kaki changes to gaki as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あがき [àgákíꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
• (Tokyo) あがき [áꜜgàkì] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [a̠ɡa̠kʲi]

Noun

足掻(あが)き • (agaki) 

1. pawing of hooves at the ground
2. struggling, flailing about

   足掻(あが)きが空(むな)しくて結局絶望(けっきょくぜつぼう)に陥(おちい)った。

   Agaki ga munashikute kekkyoku zetsubō ni ochiitta.

   His flailing about was futile, and he ultimately fell into a depression.

3. movement of one's hands and legs

Related terms

• 足掻(あが)く (agaku): to paw at the ground; to struggle

Derived terms

• 悪足掻(わるあが)き (waruagaki)

Idioms

Idioms

• 足掻(あが)きが取(と)れない (agaki ga torenai): “to be unable to take any movement of one's limbs” → to be stuck, to not have options
• 足掻(あが)きがつかない (agaki ga tsukanai): “movement does not stick / have an effect” → to be stuck, to not have options
• 足掻(あが)きを打(う)つ (agaki o utsu): “to hit the pawing” → 足掻く (agaku, “to paw at the ground”)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
足	掻
あし Grade: 1	かき > がき Hyōgai
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
足搔き (kyūjitai)

Compound of 足 (ashi, “foot”) +‎ 掻き (kaki, “scratching”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 掻く (kaku, “to scratch”)). The kaki changes to gaki as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [a̠ɕiɡa̠kʲi]

Noun

足掻(あしが)き • (ashigaki) 

1. pawing at the ground (less common than the agaki reading)
2. a children's game played by hopping around on one foot

Etymology 3

台湾足掻き (Taiwan ashikaki): southern cutgrass, cousin species to Leersia japonica.

Kanji in this term
足	掻
あし Grade: 1	かき Hyōgai
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
足搔き (kyūjitai)

Compound of 足 (ashi, “foot”) +‎ 掻き (kaki, “scratching”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 掻く (kaku, “to scratch”)), possibly from the way that horses or cattle might paw at the grass when grazing. Note the lack of rendaku.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [a̠ɕika̠kʲi]

Noun

足掻(あしか)き or 足掻(アシカ)き • (ashikaki) 

1. Leersia japonica, a kind of cutgrass native to Japan

Usage notes

As with many terms used in biology contexts, this term is often spelled in katakana.

Derived terms

• 台湾(たいわん)足掻(あしか)き (Taiwan ashikaki): Leersia hexandra, southern cutgrass

References

• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.