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在来 (ざいらい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
pre-existing ; conventional ; existing
Refers to something that has been in place from before, as opposed to something newly introduced. Often used in contrast with 新 (new) or 外来 (foreign/imported).
ち
域いき
で
は
在ざい
来らい
の
品ひん
種しゅ
が
今いま
も
栽さい
培ばい
さ
れ
て
いる
。
Conventional varieties are still cultivated in this region.
Kanji 在 exist, outskirts, suburbs Similar words 既き 存そん 既存 also means 'existing', but is more common in everyday speech and business. 在来 is slightly more formal and often used in technical or contrastive contexts (e.g., 在来線 vs. 新幹線).
従じゅう 来らい 従来 means 'conventional' or 'up to now', emphasizing a time span. 在来 focuses on the state of being already present rather than the temporal aspect.
Etymology Compound of 在 (exist, be present) and 来 (come, arrive), literally 'existing and coming'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since at least the early modern period to mean 'pre-existing' or 'indigenous'.
