Chapter I

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

eagerly desirous

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.

supplementary material that is collected and appended at the back of a book

From this reading A few dates, most of them very insecure, will be found in Appendix I of this volume.

elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading A few dates, most of them very insecure, will be found in Appendix I of this volume.

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

brought into existence

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

a university in England

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

a period of 100 years

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.

one who is the object of choice; who is given preference

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

plural of “date” — the specified day of the month

From this reading A few dates, most of them very insecure, will be found in Appendix I of this volume.

plural of “diary” — a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

the United States federal department charged with conservation and the development of natural resources; created in 1849

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

a woman emperor or the wife of an emperor

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading A few dates, most of them very insecure, will be found in Appendix I of this volume.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

set up or found

From this reading A few dates, most of them very insecure, will be found in Appendix I of this volume.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

United States publisher who founded a printing shop that became an important book publisher (1823-1895)

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading A few dates, most of them very insecure, will be found in Appendix I of this volume.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

not firm or firmly fixed; likely to fail or give way

From this reading A few dates, most of them very insecure, will be found in Appendix I of this volume.

the act of beginning something new

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

a string of more than 3,000 islands to the east of Asia extending 1,300 miles between the Sea of Japan and the western Pacific Ocean

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

a native or inhabitant of Japan

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.

apprehended with certainty

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

possessive form of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

a lady appointed to attend to a queen or princess

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

immediately past

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

United States poet (1917-1977)

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

title used for a married Frenchwoman

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

used to form the superlative

From this reading A few dates, most of them very insecure, will be found in Appendix I of this volume.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.

affix in a public place or for public notice

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

the quality of having great facility and competence

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.

one of four equal parts

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

plural of “reader” — a person who enjoys reading

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

To recall to mind.

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

the bank of a river

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

a detailed critical inspection

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.

a tenth part; one part in ten equal parts

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading A few dates, most of them very insecure, will be found in Appendix I of this volume.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The little that is known of this lady’s life has been set forth by Miss Amy Lowell in her Introduction to that book.

past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

precisely as stated

From this reading A few dates, most of them very insecure, will be found in Appendix I of this volume.

the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object

From this reading A few dates, most of them very insecure, will be found in Appendix I of this volume.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

a late time of life

From this reading It is, however, certain that Murasaki was born in the last quarter of the tenth century, that she lost her husband in 1001, and that a few years later she became lady-in-waiting to the Empress Akiko.

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading Translated from the Japanese by ARTHUR WALEY Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge Readers of the _Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan_, translated by Madame Omori and Professor Doi, will remember that the second of the three diaries is that of a certain Murasaki Shikibu.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading We know that she was chosen for this post on account of her proficiency in Chinese, a subject which the young Empress was anxious to study.