死しにゆく

Meanings

1

godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb

be dying; be nearing death

Describes the process of approaching death, often with a literary or emotive feel. The ゆく reading of 行く adds a sense of gradual progression.

彼かれは静しずかに死しにゆく人ひとを見み守まもった。
He watched over the person who was quietly dying.
死しにゆく星ほしの最さい後ごの

輝かがや

き

。

The final glow of a dying star.

Written forms

死しにゆく
Standard modern spelling; the ゆく reading of 行く is common in literary or emotive contexts.
死しに行ゆく
Kanji spelling using 行く; less common than 死にゆく but still encountered.
死しに逝ゆく
Uses the kanji 逝く (to pass away), giving a more solemn or euphemistic tone; rare in modern writing.

Kanji

死death, die
行going, journey, carry out
逝departed, die

Similar words

死しぬ
死ぬ is the plain, everyday verb for 'to die', while 死にゆく emphasizes the process of dying and carries a more literary or solemn tone.
亡なくなる
亡くなる is a polite euphemism for 'to pass away', whereas 死にゆく is more direct and descriptive, often used in narrative or poetic contexts.

Etymology

Compound of 死に (continuative form of 死ぬ 'to die') + ゆく (literary variant of 行く 'to go'), literally 'to go dying'. The ゆく form is an older, often more emotive or literary reading of 行く.