Refers to the earliest or etymological meaning of a word, as opposed to its current or extended senses.
この言葉の原義は「光」です。
The original meaning of this word is 'light'.
The original meaning of "okusan" is "a person who is in the back of the house."
Let's think about it by going back to the word's original meaning.
This word has shifted from its original meaning and is now used with a different sense.
原義 is a word's original meaning, while 転義 is a later, extended or figurative meaning that developed from it.
原義 refers to the earliest meaning of a word, whereas 語源 refers to the word's origin or derivation itself, which may not directly state a meaning.
Compound of 原 (gen, 'original') and 義 (gi, 'meaning').