also: なにぼう
He donated a certain amount of money.
a certain person; Mr. So-and-so
Refers to an unspecified person whose identity is known but not revealed. Formal or written style.
A certain person came to visit.
Only with reading なにがし
Archaic humble first-person pronoun. Used in historical or highly formal contexts to refer to oneself modestly.
I have received your message (archaic humble).
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
Kanji form; also read なにぼう in some contexts.
Alternate reading of the kanji form; archaic or literary.
Abbreviated kanji form; less common.
Derived from 何 (なに, 'what') + がし (an old suffix indicating uncertainty or indefiniteness). The exact origin of がし is uncertain.