# あくどい
## Japanese

* Alternative spelling
* 悪どい (proscribed)

### Etymology

First cited to 1694.
Ultimate derivation is unclear.
* One reference derives this from prefix あ (a, of uncertain meaning) + 諄い (kudoi, “repetitive, tedious, clunky, long-winded, insistent”).
    However, there is no apparent fitting prefix, only 亜 (a-, “sub-, -ous, -ite”, most often found in chemistry or biology).
* Described in another source as deriving from 灰汁 (aku, “lye; harshness [as a characteristic of flavor or personality]”) + suffixing element どい (doi). This doi is probably from now-archaic adjective 利し・鋭し・疾し・敏し (toshi), modernized form とい (toi, “sharp, biting; fierce, vicious; fast, quick”).
Considering the senses, this might be a case of separately derived homophones, or a case where separate partially-similar terms influenced the meaning.

### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) あくどい [àkúdóꜜì] (Nakadaka –)
* IPA: [a̠kɯ̟do̞i]
* Tokyo pitch accent of inflected forms of 「あくどい」
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary :
| Stem forms ||||
| Continuative (連用形) | あくどく | あくどく あくどく | [àkúꜜdòkù] [àkúdóꜜkù] |
| Terminal (終止形) | あくどい | あくどい | [àkúdóꜜì] |
| Attributive (連体形) | あくどい | あくどい | [àkúdóꜜì] |
| Key constructions ||||
| Informal negative | あくどくない | あくどくない あくどくない | [àkúꜜdòkùnàì] [àkúdóꜜkùnàì] |
| Informal past | あくどかった | あくどかった あくどかった | [àkúꜜdòkàttà] [àkúdóꜜkàttà] |
| Informal negative past | あくどくなかった | あくどくなかった あくどくなかった | [àkúꜜdòkùnàkàttà] [àkúdóꜜkùnàkàttà] |
| Formal | あくどいです | あくどいです | [àkúdóꜜìdèsù] |
| Conjunctive | あくどくて | あくどくて あくどくて | [àkúꜜdòkùtè] [àkúdóꜜkùtè] |
| Conditional | あくどければ | あくどければ あくどければ | [àkúꜜdòkèrèbà] [àkúdóꜜkèrèbà] |

### Adjective

あくどい • (akudoi) -i (adverbial あくどく (akudoku))
* [from 1946] harsh of manner or personality; vicious, wily, unscrupulous, villainous
    Synonym: (dishonest, unscrupulous) 悪徳 (akutoku)
    あくどい手(しゅ)段(だん)を使(つか)う。
       Akudoi shudan o tsukau.
       They use dirty tricks.
* [from 1694] persistent or stubborn of manner; cloying of flavor; garish or overdone of color or appearance
    Synonyms: (persistent of manner or flavor) しつこい (shitsukoi), (overdone, garish) どぎつい (dogitsui)

#### Inflection

Stem forms :
| Imperfective (未然形) | あくどかろ | akudokaro |
| Continuative (連用形) | あくどく | akudoku |
| Terminal (終止形) | あくどい | akudoi |
| Attributive (連体形) | あくどい | akudoi |
| Hypothetical (仮定形) | あくどけれ | akudokere |
| Imperative (命令形) | あくどかれ | akudokare |
| Key constructions ||||
| Informal negative | あくどくない | akudoku nai |
| Informal past | あくどかった | akudokatta |
| Informal negative past | あくどくなかった | akudoku nakatta |
| Formal | あくどいです | akudoi desu |
| Formal negative | あくどくないです | akudoku nai desu |
| Formal past | あくどかったです | akudokatta desu |
| Formal negative past | あくどくなかったです | akudoku nakatta desu |
| Conjunctive | あくどくて | akudokute |
| Conditional | あくどければ | akudokereba |
| Provisional | あくどかったら | akudokattara |
| Volitional | あくどかろう | akudokarō |
| Adverbial | あくどく | akudoku |
| Degree | あくどさ | akudosa |

### References

* ↑ “あくどい”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
* 1 2 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* ↑ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN