因

いん
cause
factor

* * *

I

いん【因】

cause. [⇒いちいん¹]

●…の因を成す cause; give rise to…; bring about; bring on

・これは人の善意が不幸の因を成した例である. This is an example of good intentions bringing about unhappiness.

II

もと【元･本･許･基･因･素】

1 【元】 〔はじめ〕 the beginning; the genesis 《pl. -ses》; the origin (略: orig.); the rise.

●元は originally; at first

・元から from the first [beginning, outset]; originally

・…が元である originate in [from]…; arise [rise] from…; start from [with]….

●元の original; pristine

・元のままの状態で in 《its》 integrity [original condition]

・道路の幅が元の 2 倍になった. The road has become twice as wide as it was before.

・本を元のところに置く put a book back in its place [where it was]

・その絵は元の状態に復元された. That picture has been restored to its original condition.

●あの人のことは元から信頼のおける人だと思っていました. I have always thought he is a trustworthy man.

・その会社は元は町工場からささやかに始まった. The company had its modest beginning in a humble backstreet workshop.

・その梁(_はり)は太い丸太で, 元は古い帆船のものだった. The beam was a thick log, which came out of some old sailing ship.

・元はと言えばみな君の怠慢から起こったことだ. All this resulted from your negligence.

2 【元】 〔根本〕 the foundation; the basis 《pl. -ses》; 〔根元〕 the source.

●製造元 the manufacturer; the maker

・火の元 ＝ひもと.

●元が悪いのはいくら化粧してもだめだ. If what you start out with isn't good, no matter how much makeup you put on, it's no use.

●元から絶つ cut off 《the evil》 at its source

・病巣を元から絶つ外科手術 surgery to remove a lesion at its source.

●「ぞうさん」の歌を元にした替え歌 a song adapted from the children's song “The Elephant.”

●水道[ガス]の元を止める turn the water [gas] off at the main

・川の元を尋ねる trace a river to [as far as] its source.

●無知は傲慢の元. Ignorance is the mother of impudence. 【諺】

・この慣習の元は儒教にある. This custom originated in [derives its origin from] Confucianism.

3 【本】 〔基本〕 a foundation; a basis.

●農は国の本. Agriculture is the foundation of the state.

4 【元】 〔下のほうやくっついている所に近い部分〕 ((木の)根本) the root 《of a tree》; (元込め銃の銃尾) the breech.

●元が枯れる 《potted plants》 wither at the roots.

●元のほうを持つ hold 《a stick》 at the end.

●バットの元を上にして立てる stand [balance] a baseball bat grip end up.

5 【許･元】 〔そば〕 one's side.

●親許 one's [one's parents'] home.

●師匠の許で修業する study with one's teacher.

●…の許に at…; with…

・叔父の許にいる stay [live] with one's uncle; live at one's uncle's

・その知らせを聞いて彼女の許に駆けつけた. I ran to her side at that news.

●父母の許を離れる leave home [one's parental roof]; go out into the world

・山田さんの許を辞する leave Mr. Yamada's (house).

6 【基】 〔根拠･基礎〕 a basis 《pl. bases》; ground(s); authority.

●…を基にして on the basis of…

・調査資料を基にして意見を述べる express one's opinion based on the findings

・コンピューターのデータを基にして事故原因を調べる investigate the cause of the accident on the basis of (the) computer data

・何を基にそんなことを言うのですか. In what grounds [authority] do you say so?

●…の基を築く lay the foundation(s) 《of…》; lay the groundwork 《for…》.

7 【因】 〔原因〕 the cause; the origin.

●けんか[失敗]のもと the cause of a quarrel [one's failure].

●…がもとで originating in…

・冗談がもとでけんかになった. The quarrel began in a joke.

・風邪がもとで肺炎になることがある. A cold may develop into [result in] pneumonia.

・彼は深酒がもとで若死にした. Too much drinking caused his early death [brought him to an early grave].

●不潔は病気のもとになる. Dirtiness [Uncleanliness] causes [brings on, leads to, gives rise to] disease.

●あなたの失敗のもとは不注意にあるのだ. Your failure is due [attributable] to carelessness. | Carelessness is responsible for your failure.

・ぜいたくは貧乏のもと. Luxury prepares the way to [for] poverty.

・その混乱のもとは情報不足であった. The confusion originated in lack of information.

・口は災いのもと ⇒くち.

8 【素】 〔原料･下地〕 (raw) material(s); a base.

●プリンのもと an instant pudding mix

・市販されているケーキのもと a commercial premix for a cake batter

・スープのもと 〔即席スープ〕 instant soup; 〔スープの下地〕 (soup) stock.

●酒は米をもとにして造る. Sake production starts with rice. | Rice is the basis [starting point] for making sake.

●このスープはよいもとを使ってある. A tasty stock is used in this soup.

・〔酒造りで〕 もとを仕込む 〔酵母を入れる〕 introduce the yeast.

●みそのもとは大豆だ. Miso is made from soybeans.

9 【元】 〔資本〕 capital; 〔元金〕 the principal; 〔元値〕 the cost [prime] price. [＝もとで, もとね]

●元がかかる need [require] capital [an initial outlay]

・この事業は元がかかっている. This enterprise required [involved] a large capital outlay.

・元が切れる be unable to cover the cost.

●元をかける lay out money 《on…》; put [sink] money 《in…》; invest capital 《in an enterprise》

・元を取る earn as much as the capital invested; recover [recoup] one's investment [outlay]; get one's money's worth

・元を取れない fail to return the original investment

・それでは元を取れない. Then I shall be unable to recover the cost.

・その店は元を取れないうちに倒産した. The store went under before it recouped the (original) outlay.

・元を切って売る sell with loss on cost; sell below cost; sell under prime cost.

●この新薬は 3 年未満では元は取れないだろう. This new medicine won't earn [pay off] its cost in less than three years.

・この機械ではすでに元は何倍も取れている. This machine has paid for itself several times (over).

10 【元】 〔以前〕

●元(は) formerly; once; before

・元から from the first

・元茨城県知事 the ex-Governor of Ibaraki Prefecture

・元京都大学教授吉村博士 Dr. Yoshimura, a former professor at Kyoto University

・元代議士 a former member of the Diet

・元総理 a one-time [former] Prime Minister

・元俳優の政治家 an actor-turned-politician

・元市役所だった建物 the building that used to be the municipal office.

●読んだ本を元に戻す return a book to where it was (before) [it belongs, I'd got it].

●元の former; past; ex-; sometime; old-time; one-time; erstwhile; 《文》 quondam; now defunct; 〔退職した〕 retired (略: ret.); 〔昔の〕 of former days; of old days

・彼の元の家 the house where he used to live

・彼女の元の夫 her former husband; 《口》 her ex

・元のままにしておく leave sth as it was

・私の元の教え子たち my former pupils

・元の席に着く resume one's seat

・元の敵 one's former [erstwhile] enemy

・元のとおり ＝もとどおり

・どうやら元のような体になってきた. I'm beginning to feel (like) my old self again.

・元の自分ではないような気がした. I didn't seem to be I was [used to be]. | I feel myself (to be) quite another man.

・作業が終わった者は直ちに元の位置に戻りなさい. Those who have finished their work, return to their original position [where they were before].

・経営方針を元の路線に戻す get the business strategy back onto its previous track.

●元来た道を戻った. We went back the way we had come.

・元うちの庭の真ん中に大きな桐の木があった. There used to be a big paulownia in the center of my garden.

・このブーツは元は若い女性によく売れたものだ. There boots used to sell well among young women.

・祖母は元はとても美人だった. My grandmother was very beautiful in her time.

・してしまったことは元へは戻らない. What's done cannot be undone.

・彼女の視力は元へは戻らなかった. Her sight was never restored.

11 【元】 〔以前の姿; 素性〕 one's origin; one's antecedents.

●元を調べる trace sth to its origin

・元をただす inquire into sb's past [precedents]

・元をただせば originally; in its origin

・彼女の家系は元をただせば江戸後期までさかのぼることができる. Her origins can be traced back to the late Edo period.

・あの人たちは元をただせば京都の旧家の出です. They originally come from an old family in Kyoto.

・彼は元をただせば暴走族のリーダーだ. He was formerly the boss of a motorcycle gang.

元のさやに納まる get back together; be reconciled 《with her former husband》.

●前の夫のほうがわびを入れて結局二人は元のさやに納まった. The pair were eventually reconciled after the woman's former husband made an apology.

元の木阿弥(_もくあみ) (a) relapse.

●元の木阿弥になる lose all (that) one has gained; be (right) back where one started

・両親が残してくれた財産をすべて使い果たし, また元の木阿弥だ. I spent all the money my parents left me, and I am as pinched for money [hard-up] as I was before.

元も子もない 〈人が主語〉 lose everything; 〈物が主語〉 come to nothing; be wasted.

●お母さんの介護疲れであなたが倒れてしまっては元も子もない. If you drop from exhaustion tending your aged mother, it's all over for both of you.

・元も子もなくなる lose both principal and interest; suffer a total loss

・彼女の無責任な発言で 1 年ものわれわれの努力が元も子もなくなった. Her irresponsible remark meant that our year's hard work went [disappeared] down the drain.