expression, pre-noun adjectival
Fixed pre-noun expression used to refer to someone who has passed away, often with a nostalgic or respectful tone. Literally 'now departed'.
My late grandfather often brought me to this park.
My heart warms when I remember my departed friend.
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling for this fixed expression.
Kana spelling of the second part; common in less formal writing.
A fixed phrase composed of 今 (now), the topic particle は, and the classical attributive form 亡き (dead) of the verb 亡し (modern 亡い). The expression fossilized as a pre-noun modifier.