taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun
Literary word describing something dark, invisible, or hidden from sight. Often used in fixed expressions like 冥々のうちに (unseen, in the dark) or 冥々の世界 (the world of the dead).
Perhaps fate is decided unseen, in the dark.
He departed for the world of the dead.
Standard kanji spelling for this literary word.
Variant without iteration mark.
Alternate kanji form, less common.
Alternate kanji form without iteration mark, rare.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 冥 and 瞑 both carry meanings of 'dark' or 'close the eyes', and the reduplicated form emphasizes the state of being dark or invisible.