こもごも

Japanese

Alternative spellings
交々 交 相 更

Etymology

Originally a compound of Old Japanese elements 此 (ko, “this”) +‎ も (mo, “too”) +‎ 此 (ko, “this”) +‎ も (mo, “too”). Appears as komokomo in older texts, evolving into komogomo in modern Japanese.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) こも​ごも [kòmóꜜgòmò] (Nakadaka – [2])
• (Tokyo) こもご​も [kòmógóꜜmò] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [ko̞mo̞ɡo̞mo̞]

Adverb

こもごも • (komogomo) 

1. alternating; one after another

   悲(ひ)喜(き)交(こも)々(ごも)

   hiki komogomo

   sadness and happiness one after another ⇒ mixed feelings

2. all mixed up and indistinct

   こもごも考(かんが)える

   komogomo kangaeru

   to be mixed up in one's thoughts, to think confusedly

Usage notes

This term is often spelled in hiragana.