萌える

/moju/ → /mojeru/ → /moeru/

From classical 下二段活用 (shimo nidan katsuyō, “lower bigrade conjugation”) verb 萌ゆ (moyu).^[1][2]

Derived from the 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete or irrealis form”) and 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) 萌え (moe, likely parsed as moye) + る (-ru, verb suffix), thereby shifting to 下一段活用 (shimo ichidan katsuyō, “lower monograde conjugation”).

Possibly cognate with 燃える (moeru, “to burn, be passionate, light ablaze”).

• (Tokyo) もえる [mòérú] (Heiban – [0])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [mo̞e̞ɾɯ̟]

萌(も)える • (moeru) intransitive ichidan (stem 萌(も)え (moe), past 萌(も)えた (moeta))

1. to bud, sprout

   Synonyms: 兆す (kizasu), 芽ぐむ (megumu)

2. to be aroused (especially sexually)
3. (by extension, slang) to feel or experience moé

   Synonym: ブヒる (buhiru)

   僕(ぼく)は、メイドさんや巫女(みこ)さんには萌(も)えない。

   Boku wa, meido-san ya miko-san ni wa moenai.

   I don’t feel anything towards maids and shrine maids.
   (Maids and shrine maids aren’t my type.)

   いまいち萌(も)えない娘(むすめ)

   Imaichi Moenai Musume

   Lacking-in-Moé-Girl

   (literally, “girl [towards which it is] kind of difficult to experience moé”)

• 萌(も)え立(た)つ (moetatsu)