nidan verb (upper class) with 'hu/fu' ending (archaic)
Archaic upper bigrade verb (ハ行上二段活用). In modern Japanese, this meaning is expressed by 憂える (うれえる) or 心配する. The form 憂う is mainly encountered in classical texts or fixed expressions like 憂うべき.
See also: 憂うべき (うれうべき)
古典では「世を憂ふ」のように使われた。
In classical literature, it was used as in 'to worry about the world'.
「憂うべき事態」という表現にその古い形が残っている。
The old form remains in the expression 'a situation that should be worried about'.
nidan verb (lower class) with 'hu/fu' ending (archaic)
grieve; lament; be anxious; be distressed
Archaic lower bigrade verb (ハ行下二段活用). This form is the classical equivalent of modern 憂える (うれえる) in its transitive sense of grieving or lamenting something. Found in classical poetry and prose.
See also: 憂える (うれえる)
古歌では「身を愁ふ」と詠まれることがある。
In old poems, it is sometimes composed as 'to grieve over oneself'.
国の将来を憂う。
I worry about the future of the country.
Historical kana spelling reflecting the classical ハ行上二段活用 form.
Historical kana spelling for the alternate kanji; classical usage.
Classical Japanese verb. The reading うれう derives from the ハ行上二段・下二段活用 of 憂ふ/愁ふ. The modern form 憂える developed from the classical 下二段 form. The exact origin of the root is uncertain, but it is native Japanese.