also: みす
yodan verb with 'su' ending (archaic), transitive verb
Archaic honorific verb (sonkeigo) meaning 'to see/look/watch'. Used in classical Japanese to show respect toward the subject. In modern Japanese, ご覧になる is the standard honorific equivalent.
昔の文書には「主が庭を見す」といった表現が見られる。
In old documents, expressions like 'the lord sees the garden' can be found.
yodan verb with 'su' ending (archaic), transitive verb
Only with reading めす
Archaic honorific verb (sonkeigo) meaning 'to rule/govern'. Restricted to the reading めす. Used in classical contexts for a superior's governance. Modern equivalent would be 治める or 統治する, but without the honorific nuance.
古典では「帝が国を見す」のように使われる。
In classical literature, it is used like 'the emperor rules the country'.
Alternate kanji form; less common than 見す.
Archaic honorific verb derived from the verb 見る (miru) with the honorific auxiliary す (su). The reading めす is a euphonic change from みす. The kanji 看す is a variant used for the same word.