かずく

godan verb (-ku)

to be submerged up to the neck; to dive for shellfish or seaweed

Archaic verb describing wading or diving into water, often for gathering marine products. The first gloss refers to being in water up to the neck; the second to diving to collect things.

• 昔むかし、海あ女まは海うみにかずいて鮑あわびを採とった。

  Long ago, female divers would dive into the sea to collect abalone.

• 川かわの浅あさ瀬せで、子こ供どもたちが首くびまでかずいて遊あそんでいる。

  In the shallows of the river, the children are playing while submerged up to their necks.

godan verb (-ku)

to force something underwater; to submerge something

Archaic transitive use: to push or hold something under the surface of water. Rare and mostly found in older texts.

• 漁りょう師しは網あみを水すい中ちゅうにかずいて魚さかなを捕とらえた。

  The fisherman forced the net underwater to catch fish.