大おおき

prefix

great; grand; large

Archaic prefix meaning 'great' or 'large', used in historical titles and compounds. Not productive in modern Japanese.

• 「大おお君きみ」の「大おお」は、古ふるくは「おおき」と読よまれ、偉い大だいな君くん主しゅを意い味みした。

  The 大 in 大君 was historically read as おおき and meant a great lord.

prefix

greater (of equal court ranks); upper; senior

Historical prefix used in court rank terminology to indicate the higher of two equal ranks. Also written as 正. Compare with 従 (ひろき) for the lower rank.

See also: 従 (ひろき)

• 律りつ令りょう制せいでは、同おなじ位い階かいの中なかで「大だい」が上じょう、「従じゅ」が下げを示しめした。

  In the ritsuryō system, 大 indicated the upper and 従 the lower within the same court rank.

noun, na-adjective

a great deal; very much

Rare noun/adjectival noun usage, mostly seen in the fossilized adverbial form 大きに (thank you very much) in Kansai dialect. Otherwise archaic.

See also: おおきに

• 関かん西さいでは「大おおきに」と言いえば「ありがとう」の意い味みになる。

  In Kansai, saying 大きに means 'thank you very much'.