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Mark Hosang
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Nuances between the different kanji spellings of あける:明ける vs. 開ける vs. 空ける

開ける, 明ける and 空ける are all read as あける.

From their kanji, it is obvious that 開ける has to do more with opening (a door etc), 明ける with dawning and 空ける with emptying...

However, EDICT gives the exact same senses for all three of them (in fact, lists them as the same word):

開ける(P); 空ける(P); 明ける(P) 【あける】 (v1,vt) ① (esp. 開ける) to open (a door, etc.); to unwrap (e.g. parcel, package); ② (esp. 開ける) to open (for business, etc.); ③ (esp. 空ける) to empty; to clear out; to make space; to make room; (v1,vi) ④ (esp. 明ける) to dawn; to grow light; ⑤ (esp. 明ける) to end; (P)

OK, not quite the same senses for all (each sense is given a "preferred" kanji), but still seems to claim that there might be cases where one kanji spelling could be used instead of another.

Is this an error in EDICT (and should all three have separate definitions), or can anybody think of cases where the above spelling are used instead of one another?

Dave
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