Before ainikuSourced
Japan · Japanese meaning
An older word could also mean spiteful
Classical Japanese ayaniku could describe inconvenient circumstances, spitefulness, or something happening contrary to expectations. It developed into modern ainiku, used for unfortunate circumstances.
The older form carried a broader range of unpleasant meanings.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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あやにく · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-10