noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', na-adjective
Refers to dishonest schemes, rigged games, or counterfeit items. Often used in gambling or scam contexts.
See also: いんちき
あのカジノはイカサマだ。
That casino is rigged.
彼はイカサマ師として有
He was famous as a swindler.
adverb, interjection
Only with reading いかさま
Archaic emphatic adverb or interjection expressing strong affirmation. Restricted to the hiragana reading いかさま.
「いかさま、その通りでございます」と古い小説に書いてある。
In an old novel it says, 'Indeed, that is exactly so.'
Derived from 如何 (いか, 'how') + 様 (さま, 'state/appearance'), originally meaning 'in what way' or 'how'. The shift to 'fraud' likely came from the idea of something being not what it seems. The archaic emphatic use is a direct extension of the original meaning.