also: せまし · せし · さし
ku-adjective (archaic)
Archaic -ku adjective (modern 狭い). Used in classical Japanese texts. The reading せばし is the most common form.
An old poem says, 'Though I think the world is narrow...'
shiku-adjective (archaic)
Only with reading せばし
Archaic -shiku adjective form, restricted to the reading せばし. Functionally equivalent to sense 1 but with a different classical conjugation pattern.
狭し was also used as a shiku-conjugation adjective.
Rare contracted reading found in old texts.
Rare alternate reading, possibly dialectal or poetic.
Classical Japanese adjective. The root is related to modern 狭い (せまい). The various readings (せばし, せまし, せし, さし) reflect historical sound changes and dialectal variations.