godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
shimmer; sparkle
Archaic intransitive verb describing a shimmering or sparkling light, often used in classical poetry and literature. Not used in modern everyday Japanese.
古歌に「月耀う夜」と詠まれた情景がある。
In old poems, there is a scene described as 'a night when the moon shimmers.'
Archaic kanji spelling; the word itself is archaic and rarely used in modern Japanese.
Alternate archaic kanji spelling.
Modern common verb for 'to shine, to glitter, to sparkle.' 耀う is its archaic predecessor with a similar meaning but limited to classical contexts.
The exact derivation is uncertain; it is an archaic verb related to 輝く (かがやく), sharing the root かが (shimmering light).