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jmdict 2217190 Active (id: 2088710)
美化語
びかご
1. [n]
▶ elegant speech (esp. the use of the prefixes "o-" and "go-")
▶ refined language
▶ polite language
Cross references:
  ⇒ see: 1406410 尊敬語 1. honorific language
  ⇒ see: 1427370 丁寧語 1. polite language (e.g. masu, desu)



History:
7. A 2020-11-25 03:48:02  Marcus Richert <...address hidden...>
  Diff:
@@ -14 +14 @@
-<gloss>elegant speech (esp. the use of the prefixes "o-" and "go- ")</gloss>
+<gloss>elegant speech (esp. the use of the prefixes "o-" and "go-")</gloss>
6. A 2018-04-21 21:41:40  Jim Breen <...address hidden...>
  Diff:
@@ -14 +14 @@
-<gloss>elegant speech (esp. the use of the prefixes "o-" and "go-")</gloss>
+<gloss>elegant speech (esp. the use of the prefixes "o-" and "go- ")</gloss>
5. A* 2018-04-21 04:34:22  Marcus Richert <...address hidden...>
  Refs:
gg5 redirs to 美称 a □eulogistic [poetic] name 《for…》; a 
euphemism 《for…》.
daijs: "敬語の一。上品に言い表そうとするときの言い方。多く「お」
「ご」を付けて表す。「お魚」「お酒」「ご飯」「ご本」など。"
  Comments:
Here's on attempt at improving it.
  Diff:
@@ -14 +14,3 @@
-<gloss>more refined language through prefixing of "o-" or "go-" to words, and use of appropriate vocabulary</gloss>
+<gloss>elegant speech (esp. the use of the prefixes "o-" and "go-")</gloss>
+<gloss>refined language</gloss>
+<gloss>polite language</gloss>
4. A* 2018-04-17 08:05:47  Jim Breen <...address hidden...>
  Comments:
I've approved Noa's correction. I thought I'd reopen it if anyone wants to comment or edit it.
Rene put this in in 2007 as "polite word formed by prefixing "o-" or "-go" to its base"
Paul Blay edited it to the current gloss, and commented:
美化語 does not refer just to adding o-, go- to base words.
Take the 大辞林 reference quoted ...
敬語の一種で、言葉遣いを上品にするもの。「お米」「おいしい」など。
おいしい may have historically come from いしい but that isn't directly relevant to 美化語 usage in modern Japanese. Rather it is a word with a more classy feel than, say, うまい. (As 広辞苑 says on おいしい - 「うまい」よりも上品な語).  Similarly おなか, ごはん involve use of different vocabulary not just adding 御 to make existing words in use in modern Japanese more 'polite'.
Also not all words with o-, go- added count as 美化語, if they're added to words related to the state of the person being talked to (that person's in-group, etc.), items belonging to that person etc. then they are 尊敬語.  美化語 refers to changes made to speech, writing, to make it more elegant/polite without directly relating to any up/down honorific/humble divides.
3. A 2018-04-17 08:00:51  Jim Breen <...address hidden...>
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