meaningful; suggestive; seeming to have a story
Archaic adjectival noun describing someone or something that appears to have a hidden past, deep meaning, or circumstances that are hard to explain. Rare in modern Japanese; mostly encountered in older literature.
His smile was suggestive, as if he had some secret.
その古い屋敷は由ありげな雰囲気を漂わせていた。
The old mansion had an atmosphere that seemed to be with a history.
Standard kanji spelling for this archaic adjectival noun.
Alternate kanji spelling using 気; less common.
Compound of 由 (よし, 'reason', 'history') + あり (exist) + げ (suffix indicating appearance or seeming). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a classical pattern for forming adjectival nouns.