What is the etymology of the exclamation 「よし!」?
I mean the one that's made before people decide to take some kind of action (such as standing up, or starting to do the dishes).
Japanese Language Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for students, teachers, and linguists wanting to discuss the finer points of the Japanese language. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this communityWhat is the etymology of the exclamation 「よし!」?
I mean the one that's made before people decide to take some kind of action (such as standing up, or starting to do the dishes).
It's from 良し, which is the dictionary form of 良い ("good") in classical Japanese. It's just like saying "Good" or "Okay" before making a decision in English. よし is now considered a lexicalized interjection, but 良し is still used in modern Japanese in the sense of "excellent".