さしたる

さ

し

た

る

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

pre-noun adjectival

(not) any particular; (no) special; (not) noticeable

usually written using kana alone

Pre-noun adjectival used only in negative contexts. It emphasizes that nothing stands out or is worth mentioning. Common patterns: さしたる～もない, さしたる～はない.

さしたる理り由ゆうもなく欠けっ席せきした。
I was absent without any particular reason.
彼かれの話はなしにはさしたる興きょう味みが持もてなかった。
I couldn't take any particular interest in his story.

Kanji

然sort of thing, so, if so

Related words

大たいした
大した is used in both positive and negative contexts to mean 'great' or 'considerable', while さしたる is only used negatively to mean 'no particular'.
特とくに
特に is an adverb meaning 'particularly' or 'especially', and can be used in affirmative sentences, unlike さしたる which is restricted to negative contexts.

Built from

然さ+したる

Written forms

さしたるUsage99%
Usually written in kana. The kanji form 然したる exists but is rare.
然さしたるUsage1%
Kanji form is uncommon; kana spelling is strongly preferred.

Etymology

Derived from the classical verb 然す (さす, 'to be so') in its attributive form 然したる, which became a fixed pre-noun adjectival. The exact historical development is uncertain, but it has been used in negative constructions since at least the Edo period.