nari-adjective (archaic / formal)
Only when written 大い
Archaic nari-adjective; survives mainly in fixed expressions like 大いなる (great, grand) and 大いに (greatly, very). Not used as a standalone adjective in modern Japanese.
大いなる自然の力に感動した。
I was moved by the great power of nature.
彼は大いに喜んだ。
He was greatly pleased.
prefix
greater (of equal court ranks); upper; senior
Archaic prefix used in the ancient court ranking system to distinguish a higher rank among equals, e.g., 大従 (greater junior rank). Also written as 正. Extremely rare outside historical contexts.
See also: 従 (ひろい)
律令制では、同じ位階の中でも「大」と「少」で上下を区別した。
In the ritsuryō system, even within the same court rank, 'greater' and 'lesser' distinguished higher and lower.
Modern prenominal adjective for 'big'. 大いなる is the archaic equivalent, still used in formal or literary contexts.
Archaic form of the adjective now represented by 大きい. The reading おおい is the older form, preserved in classical Japanese and certain fixed expressions.