アイス

See also: あいす and あいず

Japanese

Etymology

Borrowed from English ice.[1][2]

Pronunciation

Noun

アイス • (aisu) 

  1. ice
    Synonyms: 氷 (kōri), 氷 (hi)
  2. sorbet, ice pop; ice cream
    Synonyms: (uncommon) 氷菓子 (kōrigashi), (uncommon) 氷菓 (hyōka)
  3. (slang, archaic, c. mid-late Meiji period) loan shark, usurer
    Synonym: 高利貸し (kōrigashi)

Usage notes

In the sense of usurer, this word emerged as a play on words, as 高利貸し (kōrigashi, “usurer”, literally “high-interest lender”) and 氷菓子 (kōrigashi, “ice pop”, literally “frozen dessert”) have the same readings. This led to usurers being referred to as アイスキャンディー (aisukyandī, “ice pop”, literally “ice candy”), shortened to just アイス (aisu).[1][2]

References
  1. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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