noun
Archaic noun for physical or emotional pain, hardship, or distress. Not used in modern Japanese; replaced by 痛み, 苦しみ, or 困難.
古い文献では「労き」が心身の苦しみを指すことがある。
In old texts, 労き can refer to physical or mental suffering.
noun
Archaic noun for sickness or disease. Modern Japanese uses 病気 or 疾患. The spelling 病き is sometimes seen in historical contexts.
「病き」は古語で、現代では「病気」と言う。
病き is an archaic word; in modern Japanese one says 病気.
Archaic spelling with okurigana き, emphasizing the illness sense.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the word is archaic and its component parts are not clearly traceable in modern Japanese.