はて

Japanese

Etymology 1
For pronunciation and definitions of はて – see the following entries.
【果て】
[noun] the end, the limit
【涯】S
[noun] the end of the land: the shore
[noun] the end of the visible world: the horizon
(This term, はて, is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.)
For a list of all kanji read as はて, see Category:Japanese kanji read as はて.)

Etymology 2

Attested from the Edo Period (1603-1868).

Pronunciation

Interjection

はて • (hate) 

  1. dear me, wait a minute, well (at the start of a sentence), let me see
    • 1942, Sasano Ken, editor, Nō kyōgen: Ōkura Torahiro-bon [Kyogen works of Okura Torahiro], page 160:
      ハテ、今(いま)から縄(なわ)をなふて間(あいだ)に合(あ)ふ物(もの)か。
      Hate, ima kara nawa o nafute aida ni afu mono ka.
      Well, will it be possible to get rope now?
Usage notes

This interjection indicates surprise at something strange, and that the speaker is taking a moment to think about it.

Alternative forms

References
  1. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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