noun
apology; words of apology
Archaic noun for an apology or apologetic words. In modern Japanese, 謝罪 (しゃざい) or お詫び (おわび) are used instead.
古文書には、詫び言を述べる場面がよく出てくる。
In old documents, scenes of offering an apology often appear.
Compound of 詫び (wabi, 'apology') + 言 (koto, 'word'), with rendaku voicing to goto. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with apologetic speech.