# 厳しい
## Japanese
### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 厳
* きび Grade: 6
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spellings
* 嚴しい (kyūjitai) 酷しい
Originally from regular classical adjective 厳し (kibishi, “tight, close, without gaps”), first cited to roughly 830.
This earlier form later shifted conjugation patterns, from the so-called "-ku adjective" to the "-shiku adjective" pattern. The two conjugation types appear to have been in broadly free variation, with both forms developing the strict; severe senses in parallel. Historically, while there was some overlap, there does appear to be a sense distinction in Classical Japanese texts, wherein the older "-ku adjective" form was used more commonly to express the more objective qualities of "tight, close", while the "-shiku adjective" was used more commonly to express the more subjective qualities of "severe; harsh".
The "-shiku adjective" pattern is first cited from the late 900s.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) きびしい [kìbíshíꜜì] (Nakadaka – [3])
* IPA: [kʲibʲiɕii]
* Tokyo pitch accent of inflected forms of 「厳しい」
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary :
| Stem forms ||||
| Continuative (連用形) | 厳しく | きびしく きびしく | [kìbíꜜshìkù] [kìbíshíꜜkù] |
| Terminal (終止形) | 厳しい | きびしい | [kìbíshíꜜì] |
| Attributive (連体形) | 厳しい | きびしい | [kìbíshíꜜì] |
| Key constructions ||||
| Informal negative | 厳しくない | きびしくない きびしくない | [kìbíꜜshìkùnàì] [kìbíshíꜜkùnàì] |
| Informal past | 厳しかった | きびしかった きびしかった | [kìbíꜜshìkàttà] [kìbíshíꜜkàttà] |
| Informal negative past | 厳しくなかった | きびしくなかった きびしくなかった | [kìbíꜜshìkùnàkàttà] [kìbíshíꜜkùnàkàttà] |
| Formal | 厳しいです | きびしいです | [kìbíshíꜜìdèsù] |
| Conjunctive | 厳しくて | きびしくて きびしくて | [kìbíꜜshìkùtè] [kìbíshíꜜkùtè] |
| Conditional | 厳しければ | きびしければ きびしければ | [kìbíꜜshìkèrèbà] [kìbíshíꜜkèrèbà] |

#### Adjective

厳(きび)しい • (kibishii) -i (adverbial 厳(きび)しく (kibishiku))
* [from late 900s] stern, grave, forbidding; dignified, stately
* [from early 1000s] strict, unforgiving
* [from 1116] tight, close, without gaps
* [from 1179] harsh, tough, extreme, severe, hard to withstand (said of natural phenomena)
    厳(きび)しい山(やま)、厳(きび)しい猛暑(もうしょ)、厳(きび)しい環境(かんきょう)
       kibishii yama, kibishii mōsho, kibishii kankyō
       a tough (steep) mountain, a severe heat wave, a harsh environment
* [from 1710] extreme, excessive, terrible (said of an action)
    あの打(だ)撲(ぼく)は厳(きび)しいよ！
       Ano daboku wa kibishii yo!
       That's a terrible blow!
* [from late 1700s?] dire, difficult, tight (said of a situation)
    読(よ)むのが厳(きび)しい
       yomu no ga kibishii
       difficult to read

##### Inflection

Stem forms :
| Imperfective (未然形) | 厳しかろ | きびしかろ | kibishikaro |
| Continuative (連用形) | 厳しく | きびしく | kibishiku |
| Terminal (終止形) | 厳しい | きびしい | kibishii |
| Attributive (連体形) | 厳しい | きびしい | kibishii |
| Hypothetical (仮定形) | 厳しけれ | きびしけれ | kibishikere |
| Imperative (命令形) | 厳しかれ | きびしかれ | kibishikare |
| Key constructions ||||
| Informal negative | 厳しくない | きびしくない | kibishiku nai |
| Informal past | 厳しかった | きびしかった | kibishikatta |
| Informal negative past | 厳しくなかった | きびしくなかった | kibishiku nakatta |
| Formal | 厳しいです | きびしいです | kibishii desu |
| Formal negative | 厳しくないです | きびしくないです | kibishiku nai desu |
| Formal past | 厳しかったです | きびしかったです | kibishikatta desu |
| Formal negative past | 厳しくなかったです | きびしくなかったです | kibishiku nakatta desu |
| Conjunctive | 厳しくて | きびしくて | kibishikute |
| Conditional | 厳しければ | きびしければ | kibishikereba |
| Provisional | 厳しかったら | きびしかったら | kibishikattara |
| Volitional | 厳しかろう | きびしかろう | kibishikarō |
| Adverbial | 厳しく | きびしく | kibishiku |
| Degree | 厳しさ | きびしさ | kibishisa |

##### Synonyms

* (harsh): きつい (kitsui)
* (strict): 厳格(げんかく)な (genkaku na), 堅(かた)い (katai), (Kagoshima) いね (ine)
* (terrible): 激(はげ)しい (hageshii)

##### Related terms

* 厳(きび)し (kibishi, classical)
* きぶい (kibui)
* きびきび (kibikibi, adverb)

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 厳
* いつく Grade: 6
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spellings
* 嚴しい (kyūjitai) 美しい (rare) 慈しい (rare)
From the 連体形 (rentaikei, “attributive form”) of Early Middle Japanese adjective 厳し (itsukushi), with the medial /-k-/ falling out.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [it͡sɨkɯ̟ɕii]

#### Adjective

厳(いつく)しい • (itsukushii) -i (adverbial 厳(いつく)しく (itsukushiku))
* [from 759] (rare, archaic) wondrous, miraculous, splendid, sublime
* [from early 1000s] (rare, archaic) dignified, solemn, stern, noble, refined
* [from 1420] (rare, archaic) beautiful, pretty
** c. 14-16th century: Kazashi no Himegimi
    姫君一人おはします。[...] 御かたちを見るに、髪のかかり、眉、口つき、いつくしくて [...]

##### Derived terms

* 慈(いつく)しむ (itsukushimu)

### References

* 1 2 3 4 “厳”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
* ↑ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
   * Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
   * 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.