なか

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word なか. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word なか, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say なか in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word なか you have here. The definition of the word なか will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofなか, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spellings

From Old Japanese. First cited to the Kojiki of 712 CE.[1]

From Proto-Japonic *naka. By surface analysis, ⟨na⟩ (indicating being inside, not found in isolation) +‎ ⟨ka⟩ (a place (e.g. ありか (arika, a place where something is, whereabouts, from ある (aru, to exist) +‎ (ka, place), literally existing place), compare (tokoro, place, see etymology for details))).[2][3][4]

The relationship sense was first attested in the Kokin Wakashū, around 905-914 CE, possibly from the sense of being a group of objects/people around a certain area.[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

なか (nakaなか (naka)?

  1. : inside
    (はこ)(なか)には(なに)ありません。
    Hako no naka ni wa nani mo arimasen.
    There is nothing in the box.
  2. : middle
  3. : among (a group or mass)
    この(なか)(じん)(ろう)ます。
    Kono naka ni jinrō ga imasu.
    There is a werewolf among us / these people.
  4. : during (time); amidst
    (あつ)(なか)(つか)(さま)です
    Atsui naka o-tsukare-sama desu.
    Thank you for your cooperation in these hot times.
    (もう)(しょ)(なか)
    mōsho no naka
    in the extreme heat
    技術(ぎじゅつ)(すす)んでいく(なか)
    gijutsu ga susundeiku naka
    in the midst of technological advancement
  5. : relationship, terms
Derived terms

Proper noun

なか (Naka

  1. : a surname

See also

Etymology 2

Alternative spelling
無か

Pronunciation

Adjective

なか (naka-ka

  1. Ka-ending dialect form of ない (nai)
    ()()なんなか
    Saga wa nan mo naka
    there's nothing (of worth) in Saga (local folk saying)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 中・仲”, in 日本国語大辞典 (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
  2. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  3. ^ Alexander Vovin (2014) “Out of Southern China?”, in Academia.edu
  4. ^ Samuel E. Martin (1987) The Japanese Language Through Time, New Haven, London: Yale University Press, →ISBN
  5. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  6. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN