うまい

Etymology
From. Found in the , completed some time after 759 CE.

The ultimate derivation remains. The term occasionally appears in texts from the (794–1185 CE) with the phonetic spelling mumashi (in the classical terminal form), suggesting a possible pronunciation of * with an emphasized initial  sound, similar to the reconstructed readings for  and. The resulting reconstructed adjective stem of *mma- could indicate a derivation from onomatopoeia; compare as an expression of approval for something tasty.

Alternatively, umai is listed in some sources as perhaps deriving from verb. There is a derived compound term where the meaning is clearly from the adjective, and the spelling uses the kanji from the verb. However, the verb does not appear in historical sources with an emphatic initial, and it seems to be cognate with , possibly also with ,.

Reconstructed by Samuel Martin as.

Adjective

 * 1)  good at something, skillful
 * 2)  delicious, tasty
 * 3)  favorable, preferable, good
 * 4)  profitable
 * 5)   thoughtless, foolish, lackadaisical, slipshod, short-sighted
 * 1)  favorable, preferable, good
 * 2)  profitable
 * 3)   thoughtless, foolish, lackadaisical, slipshod, short-sighted
 * 1)  profitable
 * 2)   thoughtless, foolish, lackadaisical, slipshod, short-sighted
 * 1)  profitable
 * 2)   thoughtless, foolish, lackadaisical, slipshod, short-sighted
 * 1)   thoughtless, foolish, lackadaisical, slipshod, short-sighted

Usage notes
This term is more common in masculine speech, and may have more casual connotations. The common gender-neutral and polite term for the sense is, and for the  sense,.

Derived terms

 * : a deep sleep, a refreshing sleep
 * : tasty rice
 * : tasty, delicious; milk; the mother's breast
 * : delicious saké
 * : smelling delicious; seeming favorable
 * : sweet flavor ; convincing words, flattery
 * : deliciousness, tastiness
 * , : delicious saké
 * : sweet nimono (a kind of traditional Japanese simmered dish)
 * : someone from a good family; a noble, an aristocrat
 * : taste, flavor; savor, savoriness; attractiveness, charm; profit
 * : delicious, tasty; pleasant, comfortable