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老耄 (ろうもう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
senility ; dotage ; decrepitude
formal or literary
Formal or literary term for the state of mental and physical decline in old age. Often used in medical or descriptive contexts. Compare with 耄碌 (もうろく), which is more common and colloquial.
See also: 耄碌
かつ
に
支し
障しょう
が
出で
て
き
た
。
His senility progressed and began to interfere with daily life.
Kanji 老 old man, old age, grow old Similar words 耄もう 碌ろく More common and colloquial term for senility; 老耄 is more formal and literary.
老ろう 化か General term for aging, not necessarily implying mental decline.
認にん 知ち 症しょう Medical term for dementia; 老耄 is a more traditional, non-clinical expression.
Etymology Compound of 老 (old) and 耄 (senile, doting). The character 耄 is rare and specifically denotes age-related mental decline. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used in classical Chinese and Japanese texts.
