Question
7 Aug 2014
- English (US)
-
Japanese
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Thai
Question about Japanese
What is the origin of お前？ It seems strange that 前 followed by the honorific お would result in an informal and demeaning word for "you."
What is the origin of お前？ It seems strange that 前 followed by the honorific お would result in an informal and demeaning word for "you."
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- Japanese
I don't think the お has an honorific implication in that case.
Historically お前 was a word for showing respect to the second person, but the meaning has changed with the passing of time, and now it implicates disrespect to the second person the other way around.
I hadn't heard of the historical change of the meaning. I searched and found it out.
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