居留守

Japanese
Kanji in this term
居 留 守
い
Grade: 5		 る
Grade: 5		 す
Grade: 3
kun’yomi goon

Etymology

Compound of 居 (i, “being (in a place)”, 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 居(い)る (iru, “to be (in a place)”), said of animate subjects) +‎ 留守 (rusu, “absence (from home)”).[1][2][3][4][5]

First attested in a text from 1896.[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

居(い)留(る)守(す) • (irusu) ←ゐるす (wirusu)?

  1. [from 1896] a pretend absence from home

Usage notes

When used in a verb phrase, takes the verb 使う (tsukau, “to use”) rather than する (suru, “to do”).

  • 居留守(いるす)を使(つか)って電話(でんわ)に出(で)ない
    irusu o tsukatte denwa ni denai
    using a pretend absence and not getting on the phone → to fake being away and not pick up the phone

References
  1. “居留守”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
  2. “居留守”, in デジタル大辞泉 (Dejitaru Daijisen)‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
  3. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  4. 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  5. 2002, Yasuo Kitahara, 明鏡国語辞典 (Meikyō Kokugo Jiten), First Edition (in Japanese), Tokyo: Taishūkan Shoten, →ISBN
  6. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN
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