ずい

See also: すい

Japanese

Etymology 1

Unknown. Possibly from 髄 (zui, “bone marrow”); compare the sense development that led to the senses “something straight; an exact direction, an immediate area” for reading 髄 (zun).

First appears in the early 1500s.[1]

Pronunciation

Adverb

ずい • (zui) 

  1. straightforwardly, wholeheartedly, unreservedly, directly, immediately, all at once, in one go
    Synonym: 一気 (ikki)
Usage notes

Used with the adverbial particle と (to).

  • ずいと歩(ある)き出(だ)す
    zui to arukidasu
    to set forth [walking] without reservation

Not to be confused with adverb 惴惴 (zuizui, “in a manner quaking with fear”).

Prefix

ずい • (zui-) 

  1. (archaic) exactly that, directly or immediately that
Usage notes

Attaches to nouns or verbs.

In popular use during the late 1700s.[1]

Etymology 2

Any of various on'yomi terms.

For pronunciation and definitions of ずい – see the following entry.
【髄】S
[noun] bone marrow
[noun] the pith of a plant
[noun] (figurative) the pith or essence of something, such as a skill or cultural thing
(This term, ずい, is an alternative spelling of the above Sino-Japanese term.
For a list of all kanji read as ずい, not just those used in Japanese terms, see Category:Japanese kanji read as ずい.)

(The following entries are uncreated: 惴, 随, 瑞, 蕊, 隋.)

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