Reduplication: Adjectives

Reduplication: Adjectives

While the reduplication of nouns typically results in the formation of collective nouns, but reduplication does not end here in the Japanese lexicon. It turns out that an array of morphemes may have their roots repeated to create adjectives when followed by the affix /-shii/. Such adjectives tend to be highly descriptive and emotionally charged, but oftentimes, it is still pretty easy to tell how they relate to their original non-reduplicated form.

i. 棘
Thorn

ii. 刺々しい
To be thorny/snappy

As indicated by ii, the ditto character 々 is employed to repeat the morpheme being reduplicated. If, however, the repeated element is written with more than one character, fully repeating each character is preferred over using the 々. However, doubling up on 々 would not be incorrect.
 
iii. 冴さえ冴ざえしい
To be beyond refreshing

Just as we learned in our first installment on reduplication, the phonological phenomenon known as 連濁 is also triggered whenever its criteria are met.

iii. 白々（しらじら・しろじろ¹）しい
Barefaced/pure white

Adjectives Exhibiting Reduplication

For the remainder of this lesson, we will look at individual cases of adjectives which exhibit reduplication. Examples will be organized by the part of the speech of the root morpheme.

Derived from Nouns

1. 会場かいじょうに物々ものものしい雰囲気ふんいきが漂ただよった。
An imposing atmosphere floated in the grounds.

2. お嬢じょうさんは以前いぜんにも増まして顔立かおだちが福々ふくぶくしくなっていました。
Her looks were more plump and happy-looking than ever before.

3. よく、図々ずうずうしい²人ひとのことを「面つらの皮かわが厚あつい」と言いいます。
We often say that brazen individuals “have thick skin on their faces.”

4. 甲斐甲斐かいがいしく立たち働はたらいている外国人がいこくじんが大勢おおぜいいました。
There were many foreigners diligently at work.

5. 幼虫ようちゅうは毒々しい色彩しきさいを持もつ。
The larvae have a poisonous-looking color scheme.

6. 角々しい言い方はしないでほしいな。
I sure wish you wouldn’t be so sharp with your words.

7. そんな空々そらぞらしい嘘うそをつかなくてもいいんだよ。
There’s no need for you to make such a blatant lie.

8. 女々めめしい男おとこってどんな人ひとでしょうか。
What kind of person would be considered an effeminate man?

9. 離婚りこんしたくないなら、あなた自身じしんが雄々おおしい男おとこになる必要ひつようがあります。
If you don’t wish to get divorced, you yourself must become a manly man.

10. この世よには、禍々まがまがしい³オーラを纏まとった人ひとが多おおくいます。
There are many people in this world that put out an ominous aura.

11. 本当ほんとうに神々こうごうしい⁴神社じんじゃです。
It is a very sublime temple.

12. 事々ことごとしく言いい訳わけをする。
To pretentiously make an excuse.

13. 彼かれはいつも白々しらじらしい嘘うそばかりで腹はらが立たちます。
I’m mad at how he always makes just the most glaring lies.

14. 彼女かのじょはけばけば⁵しく化粧けしょうをしていた。
She gaudily wore her makeup.

15. 艶々つやつやしい髪かみをまっすぐに垂たらす。
To hang down one’s glossy hair straight.

16. 賑々にぎにぎしい⁶繁華街はんかがいで夕食ゆうしょくする。
To have dinner in a lively shopping district.

17. 成果せいかは捗々はかばかしく⁷なかった。
The results were not satisfactory.

18. ドバイの2017にせんじゅうなな年ねんは街全体まちぜんたいを照てらす花火はなびとともに華々はなばなしく幕まくを開あけた。
2017 in Dubai kicked off splendidly with fireworks which lit up the whole city.

19. ここは採とれたての瑞々みずみずしい⁸野菜やさいを毎日食まいにちたべるという気楽きらくさを楽たのしめる町まちです。
This town here is a place where you can enjoy the ease of eating fresh, picked vegetables every day.

Derived from Adjectives/Adjectival Nouns

20. 痛々いたいたしいニュースが相次あいついでいる。
Painful news keeps coming in one after another.

21. 最近さいきんは、見みた目年齢めねんれいが若々わかわかしい女性じょせいが増ふえている。
Lately, there has been an increase in women who look younger than their actual age.

22. 馬鹿馬鹿ばかばかしい話はなしはよしましょう。
Enough with the ludicrous talk.

23. 啓祐けいすけは数秒すうびょうの沈黙ちんもくを破やぶって弱々よわよわしい声こえを出だした。
Keisuke broke the several seconds of silence, speaking frailly.

24. とある細々こまごましい物ものが纏まとまっている商品しょうひんを購入こうにゅうしました。
I purchased a product that comes bundled with a bunch of miscellaneous odds and ends.

25. 母はははいつも苦々にがにがしい顔かおをしていた。
My mother always had an unpleasant look on her face.

26. スタジアムは重々おもおもしい雰囲気ふんいきに包つつまれていた。
A serious atmosphere enveloped the stadium.

27. 織田信長おだのぶながは短気たんきで荒々あらあらしい性格せいかくを持もっていたといわれる。
It is said that Oda Nobunaga had a quick temper and rough personality.

28. 軽々かるがるしい行動こうどうを取とっていると、監視対象かんしたいしょうになり、アカウントの凍結とうけつなどの厳きびしい処置しょちになる可能性かのうせいがあります。
Engaging in reckless behavior may result in your account being placed under surveillance, potentially leading to severe measures such as account suspension.

29.まめまめしく働はたらいているのは彼かれだけだ。
The only one painstakingly working is him.

30. ○○政権せいけんは、自みずからの政策せいさくを「○○ノミクス」だとかいって仰々ぎょうぎょうしく⁹宣伝せんでんしていますが、新あたらしい中身なかみはあるんでしょうか。
The ## Administration bombastically propagandizes its own policies as “##nomics,” but is there anything new of substance to be had?

31. 空は茫と霞んで、星ほしが淡々あわあわしかった。
The sky was vaguely hazy, and the stars shone faintly.

32. 騒々そうぞうしい¹⁰場所ばしょではなかなか会話かいわが聞きき取とれない。
I can’t really make out conversations in noisy places.

33. 凛々りりしい人ひとに憧あこがれていました。
I used to look up to people who were dignified and gallant.

Derived from Verbs

34. 賑にぎやかで晴はれ晴ばれしい空気くうきが溢あふれている。
A lively and splendid atmosphere is abounding.

35. 周まわりに馴なれ馴なれしい人ひとはいますか。
Is there anyone around who is being over-familiar?

36. ふてぶてしい¹¹態度たいどを取とる人ひとは悪わるい印象いんしょうを持もたれてしまう。
People who take a brazen attitude give out bad impressions.

37. 若わかいころの忌々いまいましい¹²記憶きおくを思おもい出だしたくない。
I don’t want to remember the provoking memories from when I was young.

38. 盗人は猛々しい¹³。
Thieves are audacious.

39. 清々すがすがしい¹⁴表情ひょうじょうで記者会見きしゃかいけんに臨のぞむ。
To approach a press conference with a refreshed, serene expression.

Derived from Prefix

40. お二人ふたりとも20にじゅう代前半だいぜんはんの初々ういういしい¹⁵カップルです。
They are a young and innocent couple in their early twenties.

1. Separate from 連濁, many core lexical items exhibit a 露出形 (bare form) used when the morpheme is in isolation and a 被覆形 (covered form) when it used as an attribute. In the case of 白, both its bare form しろ and its covered form しら are subject to reduplication. While both しろじろしい and しらじらしい can both mean “pure white,” the latter is typically used to mean “barefaced/transparent.” ↩︎
2. The kanji 図 possesses the meaning of “plot” as is seen in the word 企図, but another phrase that makes 図々しい seem more relatable is 図に乗る, meaning “to get carried away/cocky.” ↩︎
3. The archaic noun まが means “disaster.” ↩︎
4. かむがむ＞かうがう＞こうごう. ↩︎
5. The underlining nominal root /keba/ means “fluff,” and would be written in said capacity as 毛羽・毳. ↩︎
6. The underlining archaic nominal root /nigi/ means “bustle” and can also be found in the verb 賑わう meaning “to be bustling.” ↩︎
7. The root /-haka/ means “work load/progress,” which is also present in the verbs 計る・測る・図る・量る・諮る・謀る (the nuances and spellings all revolving around different senses of devising/measuring/deliberating something) and 捗る (to make progress). ↩︎
8. Derived from the root /mizu/ meaning “youthfulness/freshness.” ↩︎
9. Of unclear origin, 仰々 was also spelled as 業業 or even 希有希有 before being standardized as 仰々. ↩︎
10. さわさわ＞さうざう＞そうぞう. ↩︎
11. ふてぶてしい derives from the verb ふてる meaning “to be sulky” and may alternatively be written as 太々しい, 不貞不貞しい, or even 不敵不敵しい. ↩︎
12. Deriving from the verbal root /im-/ meaning “to detest.” ↩︎
13. 猛々しい derives from the reduplication of the root /take-/ found in the verb 猛る meaning “to rage.” ↩︎
14. Deriving from the verb /sugu/ in the sense of “nothing getting in the way; to be clean and uncluttered.” ↩︎
15. The prefix 初（うい）～ meaning “first” appears in a handful of words such as 初産 (first childbirth). ↩︎