定めない

Japanese

Kanji in this term
定
さだ
Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Compound of 定め (sadame, “fate; rule, law”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem form”) of verb 定める sadameru “to decide, to establish, to settle”) +‎ 無い (nai, “there isn't, does not exist”): literally, “there is no set fate”, and by extension, “changeable”.[2]

Note that this is distinct from the negative form of verb 定める (​sadameru), 定めない (​sadamenai), although both have the same reading and inflection.[2]

Usage notes

Both senses of sadamenai are often written using hiragana for the nai portion. In such cases, the intended sense can be discerned from the context.

Alternative forms

Adjective

定めない (-i inflection, hiragana さだめない, rōmaji sadamenai)

  1. Alternative spelling of 定め無い transient, changeable, ephemeral
Inflection

Etymology 2

The negative form of verb 定める (sadameru, “to decide, to establish, to settle”).

Verb

定めない (hiragana さだめない, rōmaji sadamenai)

  1. to not decide, to not establish, to not settle

References

  1. ↑ 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. 1 2 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
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