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由来 (ゆらい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N2 Freq. Frequency Top 5,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru'
origin ; source ; history ; derivation
Used for the origin, background, or historical source of a name, custom, word, place, product, etc. As 〜に由来する, it means “to derive from” or “to have its origin in.”
That word derives from Latin.
2
adverb
originally ; from the start ; by nature
Adverbial 由来 is uncommon in modern everyday speech and sounds formal or literary; 元来, もともと, or 生来 are often more natural in ordinary conversation.
Written forms 由ゆ 来らい Usage 100%
Standard kanji spelling for both the noun meaning “origin/source” and the more literary adverbial use.
ユライ Usage <1%
Similar words 起き 源げん Focuses more specifically on the beginning or first source of something; 由来 can also include the background story or derivation.
出しゅっ 所しょ Means the source or place something came from, especially information, money, or an object; 由来 is more about origin, history, or derivation.
元がん 来らい A common adverb meaning “originally” or “by nature”; it often replaces the literary adverbial use of 由来 in modern prose.
Etymology A Sino-Japanese compound written with 由, associated with reason or source, and 来, “to come.” The spelling transparently supports the idea of something “coming from” a source or background.
