The Meaning of Keshikaran: a Strangely Complex Word

Alright, let’s dig into a phrase that’s a bit previous and a bit new. A phrase with a distinct meaning that we will use with some actual gusto. That phrase is keshikaran and immediately we’re going to delve into it’s trendy meaning, its previous, and the whole lot in between.

To start out off, let’s lay a basis with a easy bit of definition….

The Meaning of Keshikaran in Japanese

Keshikaran (けしからん) is an expression that claims one thing is outrageous, scandalous, or impolite. As an exclamation, it means you might be indignant. Its trendy, web utilization has modified considerably to mean one thing is exceedingly cute or horny.

How keshikaran is written

Keshikaran, as with most Japanese phrases, will be written 4 other ways. First, there’s romaji, which is simply how we’ve been representing it thus far: keshikaran.

The subsequent two relate to what could possibly be referred to as the Japanese alphabet (actually the Japanese syllabary), and could be written as けしからん in hiragana, or ケシカラン in katakana.

The most typical selection is to write is in hiragana!

Lastly, there’s the choice to write it with kanji as 怪しからん.

This will appear to over complicate issues, however in actuality it gives us one other avenue by which to study the meaning of this phrase.

The character of keshikaran

When utilizing kanji, we get to see the character 怪 on the entrance. This gives us some first rate context to pull from later.

怪 is a phono-semantic character (a character containing clues to each pronunciation and meaning). The first half, 忄, is a suuuuper stylized means to write the character for coronary heart, 心.

The different half is the phonetic element, 圣, however I gained’t go into it as a result of it doesn’t give us any helpful info right here.

The semantic facet tells us instantly that we’re coping with a character that has to do with emotions or ideas.

And, certainly, this character by itself denoted weirdness, strangeness, or oddity. It will possibly additionally refer to blame.

You’ll see this character present up continuously. Some enjoyable phrases you’ll discover it in are 怪物 (kaibutsu, monster), 妖怪 (yokai, ghost), and 怪我 (kega, damage).

One other kanji choice for keshikaran

Alternatively, we will write keshikaran as 異しからん.

異 is a fairly fascinating character that started off as a pure ideogram.

That’s, a character that’s principally simply a drawing of a factor (e.g. 木 > tree; 山 > mountain; 火 > fireplace).

On this case, we’re a man in a masks. One thing very unusual—therefore the meaning of the character: unusual or weird.

Origin of keshikaran

Keshikaran comes from the becoming a member of of a few issues after which a common mutation.

First, we have now the imperfective kind of the adjective 怪し which turns into keshikara.

To that is tacked on zu, which is a kind of suffix that denotes negation. This gave us the unique kind, keshikarazu.

The zu was changed with nu, one other, older means to negate as an alternative of zu. This “nu” utilization additionally appears to suggest a stronger negation, in actual fact.

This addition on “nu” isn’t essentially grammatical, and was added kind of unintentionally in a match of anger throughout its unique utilization.

My Japanese isn’t precisely on the scholarly stage, so I’m unsure how true that is, but it surely’s fairly fascinating whether it is.

Both means, this all would possibly look like a bit of a contradiction. In any case, isn’t negating the phrase for “unusual” mean that it’s not unusual?

Nicely, from an English perspective, sure. However in Japanese it truly simply emphasizes the strangeness right here.

So, we’re speaking actually unusual. Stranger than unusual.

Due to the mutations, you may additionally see keshikaran written in two different methods, both keshiin or keshikaranu.

How keshikaran is used

Keshikaran’s unique meaning is that one thing may be very disgraceful, shameful, or outrageous.

It’s past the pale.

Exceedingly past the traditional.

Moreover, because the phrase developed over time it started to specific these emotions in an indignant means (as opposed to simply being a passive remark because it was used initially).

That’s how it used to be used, and nonetheless could also be seen or heard these days, particularly from older males. It’s been a smart way to blame or scold somebody.

Nonetheless, in a trendy context it’s largely discovered its means into web converse. When viewing a actually enticing particular person, or a tremendous cute animal, it’s a means to say, “It’s tooooooo cute/horny!”

All that stated, you’ll nonetheless see it in its unique meaning in media, like manga, significantly as a means to say, “I’m indignant (at this outrageousness).”

Including on: urayamashi

Urayamashi by itself means “envious” or “jealous” (sure, I do know these are distinct concepts in English [thank you Homer Simpson], however they’re conflated on this Japanese phrase).

This phrase itself is a mashup of “ura” and “yamu”, which is principally “inside one’s coronary heart” and “to be taken sick,” respectively.

So, in its base, unique meaning, it illustrates the feeling of feeling sickened by the fortune of one other particular person.

These days, it’s simply a means to convey your envy.

Nonetheless, you may mix this with keshikaran to make urayamashi-keshikaran.

On this case we mix the meanings and mix them. This phrase creates the sense that you simply shouldn’t lengthy for one thing (as a result of it’s so keshikaran, of course!), however you simply can’t assist it.

Similar to keshikaran, urayamashi-keshikaran largely finds itself being utilized in trendy, internet-based conditions to comment upon the particularly horny or cute.

Some instance sentences with keshikaran

求古会員もこれは怪しからんと言い出した。
Motome ko kaiin mo kore wa keshikaran to iidashita.
The members of Kyuko additionally criticized it.

会議に遅れるとはけしからん.
Kaigi ni okureru to-wa keshikaran.
Operating late to the assembly is inexcusable.

人の女房をじろじろみるとはじつにけしからん.
hito-no-nyobo o jirojiro-miru to-wa jitsu ni keshikaran.
He’s very impolite looking at my spouse like that.

最近の若いものはけしからん。
Saikin-no-wakai-mono wa kashikaran.
Not too long ago the youth are impolite.

こんなくだらないことに多額の金を支払うとはけしからん。
Konna kudaranai-koto ni tagaku-no-kin o shiharau to-wa keshikaran.
It’s felony to pay a lot cash for such trifles.

彼はけしからん。
Kare wa keshikaran.
He’s despicable.

けしからん事件だ。
Keshikaran shigoto da.
It’s an insupportable job.

今日もかっこいいな！けしからん <3
Kyo mo kakkoii-na! Keshikaran <3
Immediately’s cool too! SOO CUTEEEE