prefix
Archaic prefix meaning 'great' or 'large', used in historical titles and compounds. Not productive in modern Japanese.
「大君」の「大」は、古くは「おおき」と読まれ、偉大な君主を意味した。
The 大 in 大君 was historically read as おおき and meant a great lord.
prefix
greater (of equal court ranks); upper; senior
Historical prefix used in court rank terminology to indicate the higher of two equal ranks. Also written as 正. Compare with 従 (ひろき) for the lower rank.
See also: 従 (ひろき)
律令制では、同じ位階の中で「大」が上、「従」が下を示した。
In the ritsuryō system, 大 indicated the upper and 従 the lower within the same court rank.
noun, na-adjective
Rare noun/adjectival noun usage, mostly seen in the fossilized adverbial form 大きに (thank you very much) in Kansai dialect. Otherwise archaic.
See also: 大きに
関西では「大きに」と言えば「ありがとう」の意味になる。
In Kansai, saying 大きに means 'thank you very much'.
Modern adjective meaning 'big' or 'large'. 大き is an archaic prefix/noun form, not used as a standalone adjective in modern Japanese.
Common prefix meaning 'big' or 'great' in modern compounds. おおき is the archaic native Japanese reading.
Archaic native Japanese prefix and noun form related to modern 大きい (big). The reading おおき is the attributive form of the classical adjective おおし, which later developed into 大きい.