noun
archaic word; obsolete word; archaism
A term for words or expressions from older Japanese that are no longer current, or are used only in classical or historical contexts.
「いとをかし」は有名な古語だ。
Ito okashi is a famous archaic word.
古語の意味を辞書で調べた。
I looked up the meaning of the archaic word in a dictionary.
noun
old saying; old adage
Used for an old saying or maxim. This sense is more literary or set-phrase-like than the common word ことわざ.
古語に曰く、「急がば回れ」。
As the old saying goes, "More haste, less speed."
noun
old language; ancient language
Refers to an older stage of a language, especially in study of classical Japanese or historical linguistics.
授業で古語と現代語を比較した。
In class, we compared the old language with the modern language.
古語を読むには、現代語とは違う文法の知識が必要だ
To read an old language, you need knowledge of grammar different from that of the modern language.
The ordinary word for a proverb or saying. 古語 in the adage sense sounds more literary and old-fashioned.
Means modern language and is often contrasted with 古語 when discussing historical forms of Japanese.
A Sino-Japanese compound written with 古, associated with oldness, and 語, associated with words or language. This is a transparent component explanation, not a detailed historical derivation.