The path to 楽しみ


In 楽しみにしています, does 楽しみ come from appending the み suffix to 楽しい, or does it
come from the 連用形/V-stem/Masu-form of 楽しむ? I.e. Which of the following is it:

> A. 楽しい→楽しみ  
>  B. 楽しむ→楽しみ

Appending the み suffix refers to generating nouns from い-adjectives such as:

  * 高い→高み
  * 深い→深み
  * 明るい→明るみ
  * 赤い→赤み
  * 暖かい→暖かみ
  * 厚い→厚み
  * 弱い→弱み
  * 強い→強み
  * 甘い→甘み
  * 苦い→苦み
  * おもしろい→おもしろみ

Of note is that process above generates み-nouns from い-adjectives as opposed
to being generated from verbs, and is **capable of generating み-nouns from
words that do not have a related む-ending verb** (I.e. there is no
おもしろむ→おもしろみ).

However, many of the above seem to have a corresponding verb which, **of
particular note, contains a _-m-_ sound** which could be related to the み
suffix generation rule above:

  * 高める・高まる
  * 深める・深まる
  * 赤める
  * 暖める・暖まる
  * 弱める・弱まる
  * 強める・強まる

It then seems that these **may** be possible processes (taking one of the ~める
verbs as an example):

[![mi suffix
chart](https://i.stack.imgur.com/eGdrg.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/eGdrg.png)

In this hypothesis, the verb is the origin. Some unknown mechanism (1)(Verb to
Adj) generates a い adjective, and another mechanism (2)(Verb to Noun)
generates a み-noun. Following this, a relationship between the adjective and
the noun develops (3)(Adj to Noun). Then, this new mechanism (3) is extended
to adjectives that do not have a corresponding verb containing a _-m-_ sound,
which is mechanism (4).

Comparing mechanism (2) to the 終止形 to 連用形 conjugation rule, we note that it is
also of a similar type, that is to say that it is a process that is "Verb to
Noun". E.g. 笑う→笑い.

* * *

In another hypothesis, I take the adjective to be the starting point. Where
after (1') it gets a む to become
[深む](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/191216/meaning/m0u/) (Which may be an old
verb form. See: [Rare/Obsolete verb
forms](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/5506/542) and [How do 自他 triplets
of related verbs work?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/12837/542)) and
then goes on to conjugate normally to 連用形 to get the み ending. As above, the
association between the adjective and noun (3') is formed and is extended (4')
to adjectives that do not go through (1'):

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vlChR.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vlChR.png)

This gives me a suspicion that there might exist a verb-like む morpheme hidden
in the history of the words that contemporarily do not have an explicit _-m-_
sound in order for them to conjugate to a 連用形 containing み such that the
processes A and B (right at the beginning of this question) are actually
underlyingly the same process.

So restating the question, what is the path to take to get to 楽しみ? Is process
A of the nature of (4) in the diagram?




### Origins

I was recently looking into the etymology of the term 畏{かしこ}まる. Shogakukan's
国語大辞典 traces this to 畏{かしこ}む, and notes that only the 連用形{れんようけい} is found in
the oldest textual appearances. The entry provides two ancient quotes, one
from the 古事記{こじき} and one from the 日本書紀{にほんしょき}, both using the form かしこみて. It
seems possible that this みて ending may represent a stage in the
[lexicalization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexicalization) of み, where み
derived originally as a conjugated form of the む auxiliary verb, but み then
developed uses that are independent of this origin.

む (from which み and also まる and める derive) expresses senses of _appearance_
and _seeming_. I suspect there are two more possible (probable?) cognates
here: suppositional む (source of the modern volitional _-ō_ ending), and
regular verb 見{み}る which some dictionaries list as cognate with 目{ま・め}.

A similar suffix is modern びる, as in terms like 古{ふる}びる and 大人{おとな}びる. This
derives from classical ぶ. I suspect that this may be a shift from む, as a
`/m/` ⇔ `/b/` shift does crop up here and there in Japanese (c.f. the Tama
River in western Tokyo, the upper reaches of which are also called the Taba
River; also Tōhoku-ben where たびに is rendered as たんびに; and classical verb 浴{あ}む
that became modern 浴{あ}びる).

### Current State

In modern Japanese, the む auxiliary verb has ~~largely disappeared,~~ _been
partially_ superseded by まる and める as verb-forming suffixes, and み as a noun-
forming suffix. These all come from む, but they are now independent, so you
might have a word that can be changed to take one of these endings, but it
might not necessarily take the others -- such as 面白い, which can take み but not
まる or める.

Looking at your diagrams, I must confess some confusion, so please comment if
my post does not answer your question.




### Origins

I was recently looking into the etymology of the term 畏{かしこ}まる. Shogakukan's
国語大辞典 traces this to 畏{かしこ}む, and notes that only the 連用形{れんようけい} is found in
the oldest textual appearances. The entry provides two ancient quotes, one
from the 古事記{こじき} and one from the 日本書紀{にほんしょき}, both using the form かしこみて. It
seems possible that this みて ending may represent a stage in the
[lexicalization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexicalization) of み, where み
derived originally as a conjugated form of the む auxiliary verb, but み then
developed uses that are independent of this origin.

む (from which み and also まる and める derive) expresses senses of _appearance_
and _seeming_. I suspect there are two more possible (probable?) cognates
here: suppositional む (source of the modern volitional _-ō_ ending), and
regular verb 見{み}る which some dictionaries list as cognate with 目{ま・め}.

A similar suffix is modern びる, as in terms like 古{ふる}びる and 大人{おとな}びる. This
derives from classical ぶ. I suspect that this may be a shift from む, as a
`/m/` ⇔ `/b/` shift does crop up here and there in Japanese (c.f. the Tama
River in western Tokyo, the upper reaches of which are also called the Taba
River; also Tōhoku-ben where たびに is rendered as たんびに; and classical verb 浴{あ}む
that became modern 浴{あ}びる).

### Current State

In modern Japanese, the む auxiliary verb has ~~largely disappeared,~~ _been
partially_ superseded by まる and める as verb-forming suffixes, and み as a noun-
forming suffix. These all come from む, but they are now independent, so you
might have a word that can be changed to take one of these endings, but it
might not necessarily take the others -- such as 面白い, which can take み but not
まる or める.

Looking at your diagrams, I must confess some confusion, so please comment if
my post does not answer your question.

