This sentence was in a grammar textbook:
彼{かれ}は同僚{どうりょう}にライバル意識{いしき}、ひいては殺意{さつい}すら抱いていた
... it means:
"He regarded his colleague as a rival, even to the point of considering murder."
My question is about the last kanji, 抱. It seems to have three readings, だ・く, いだ・く, and うだ・く, though I think the last one might be rare.
So far as I can tell, they all carry exactly the same definition, which is "to hold, to embrace, to carry", which can be meant both in the physical sense of actually holding something, as well as the metaphorical sense of holding onto a feeling, like a grudge. (So I would assume the translation above, which isn't mine, took the liberty of changing "harbouring intentions of murder" into "considering murder".)
Is there a way I can determine which reading is the right one? Unless I'm mistaken, they all conjugate with the same okurigana, so I can't use the trailing hiragana as any kind of indicator.
Is there any difference in implied meaning or usage between the readings?
Also, slight bonus question... My understanding is that the だ・く reading can be used as a slang way of saying sex (I saw it used that way in a TV show once). Is that true, what would be the nuances it carries, and is it also true for the other readings?
Lastly: As is always my preference, please keep answers readable for all, with either no technical linguistic terminology, or with linguistic terms in a separate section for those who want it. Thanks!
Answer
Well, first, I think that うだく is archaic, as I read it:
〔上代語「むだく」の転で、「だく」の古形。平安鎌倉時代の漢文訓読にだけ見える語〕
Then, だく seems to be use for concrete situations, when you really use your hands.
いだく seems to be
- a more literary reading, or
- used in abstract situations, like 「理想を―・く」「不安を―・く」. This is exactly your sentence, isn't it?
Sources: on-line dictionaries and websites for Japanese people having the same questions :)
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