# ほろり
## Japanese
### Etymology

Appears to be root ほろ (horo, “little bit; drip, drop”) + adverb-forming り (ri), in turn likely from あり (ari, “to be”), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”), and also the classical form, of modern verb ある (aru, “is, are”).
Cognate with the ほろ (horo) root in terms like 滅びる (horobiru, “to die; to die out, to become extinct; to fall apart, to collapse”), ほろほろ (horohoro, “spreadingly, spillingly; messily, all over the place”, adverb). Probably connected with the little bit meaning of ほろ (horo), from the sense of something falling into smaller pieces. Probably also cognate with ぼろ (boro, “shabby, tattered, ragged; rags”); ぼろぼろ (boroboro, “shabby, ragged, tattered; in drops, drippingly, tearingly”); ぽろり (porori), ぽろぽろ (poroporo, “drippingly, tearingly”, implying bigger tears or drops than boroboro).
First cited to 1430.

### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) ほろり [hòróꜜrì] (Nakadaka – [2])
* (Tokyo) ほろり [hòróríꜜ] (Odaka –)
* IPA: [ho̞ɾo̞ɾʲi]

### Adverb

ほろり • (horori)
* [from 1477] evocative of something light or fragile falling gently in a wafting or fluttering fashion
    葉(は)っぱがほろりと落(お)ちた
       happa ga horori to ochita
       a leaf fell gently
* [from 1563] evocative of a single tear falling from one's eyes
    お別(わか)れの手(て)紙(がみ)を読(よ)みながら涙(なみだ)がほろりとこぼれた。
       Owakare no tegami o yominagara namida ga horori to koboreta.
       A single tear spilled from her eye as she read the breakup letter.
* [from 1430] evocative of moving one's body gently or stepping lightly
    ほろりと踏(ふ)む
       horori to fumu
       to tread lightly
* [from 1603] evocative of one's emotions being affected in a sentimental fashion: movingly, touchingly
    あの話(はなし)は読(よ)み返(かえ)すと何(なん)だかほろりと来(き)てしまいます。
       Ano hanashi wa yomikaesu to nan da ka horori to kite shimaimasu.
       Re-reading that story, I get a little sentimental.
* from the way that a feeling of intoxication can creep up on one, or from how a tipsy person moves: in a slightly drunk or buzzed fashion, tipsily
    ほろりと酔(よ)っている
       horori to yotte iru
       slightly drunk
* so soft or tender that something falls apart
    ほろりと柔(やわ)らかい肉(にく)
       horori to yawarakai niku
       melt-in-your-mouth meat / meat so tender it falls off the bone

#### Usage notes

Usually followed by the adverbial particle と (to). Used in conjunction with the verb する (suru, “to do”) to modify a noun as a preceding adjectival phrase, or as a predicate:
* ほろりとさせる映(えい)画(が)を見(み)て、彼(かれ)はほろりとした
    horori to saseru eiga o mite, kare wa horori to shita
    watching the touching movie, he was moved
Occasionally found as a bare adverb with no particle.
* ほろり酔(よ)う、涙(なみだ)がほろり零(こぼ)れる
    horori you, namida ga horori koboreru
    to get slightly drunk, a single tear falls
Note that this term often does not translate directly into English: it might become an adjective in translation, or it might vanish altogether with the meaning conveyed by other terms or constructions.

#### Derived terms

* ほろっと (horotto)

#### Related terms

* ほろ (horo)
* ほろほろ (horohoro)
* はらり (harari)

### References

* ↑ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* ↑ “ほろり”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
* 1 2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN