message brought back home by a messenger
Archaic noun referring to a message a messenger delivers upon returning home. Not used in modern Japanese.
In old times, a messenger would convey a return message on the way back.
reply; ode in reply
Archaic; could refer to a verbal reply or a poem composed in response. The 'ode in reply' sense is a specific literary use.
At the poetry gathering, he composed a waka as a reply poem.
Archaic; a gift given in return, similar to お返し. Related to お返し sense 1.
See also: お返し
In medieval gift exchange, they sometimes gave an item as a return gift.
Standard kanji form for this archaic noun.
Variant kanji form using 事 instead of 言.
Compound of 返り (kaeri, 'returning') + 言 (koto, 'word'/'thing'), with rendaku voicing. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling 返り事 reflects the broader sense of 'thing in return'.