けり

See also: げり

Japanese

Etymology 1

Contracted from  () (ki, to come, continuative stem) + あり (ari, to be).

Suffix

けり (rōmaji -keri)

  1. (Classical Japanese, jodōshi) Indicates past tense: -ed
    Mostly used when the speaker was not a witness, but was rather told about the event described, as opposed to . But it can also be used to describe direct experiences.
    • 10th century, anon., The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter
       (いま) (むかし) (たけ) (とり) (おきな)といふものありけり
      ima wa mukashi take tori no okina to ifu mono ari keri
      Long ago there was an old man who cut bamboos.
  2. (Classical Japanese, jodōshi) Indicates that the speaker has just realized something.
    Most notably used at the end of a poem to denote an exclamatory tone.
    • 773 CE – 824 CE, Emperor Heizei, Kokin Wakashū 90
      ふるさととなりにし () () (みやこ)にも (いろ)はかはらず (はな) ()けり
      furusato to nari ni shi nara no miyako ni mo iro wa kaharazu hana wa saki keri
      Although becoming old and abandoned, the Nara capital did not change its color and the flowers are still blooming.

Conjugation

Usage notes

Follows the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, continuative or stem form) of inflectable words.

Etymology 2

From etymology 1, because けり is often used at the end of a poem.

Noun

けり (rōmaji keri)

  1. ending; conclusion

Noun

けり (katakana ケリ, rōmaji keri)

  1. , 計里, 水札: a grey-headed lapwing
  2. 蹴り: kick
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