ちっちゃな

Japanese
Alternative spelling
小っちゃな

Etymology

Sound shift from 小(ちい)さな (chīsana).[1]

Also analyzable as the adnominal -na alternative form of ちっちゃい (chitchai).

First attested in 1926.[1]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [t͡ɕit̚t͡ɕa̠na̠]

Adnominal

ちっちゃな • (chitchana) 

  1. [from 1926] (childish) Alternative form of 小さな (chīsana, “small; little”)

Usage notes

This term may only be used to directly modify a noun. In this grammatical role, it may be used largely interchangeably with ちっちゃい (chitchai), the -i adjective form. In predicative use, only ちっちゃい (chitchai) may be used: あれは*ちっちゃだ (are wa *chiccha da) is incorrect grammar. Also, there is no adverbial form *ちっちゃに (*chiccha ni), only the regular -ku adverbial form ちっちゃく (chitchaku) of the -i adjective ちっちゃい (chitchai).

Synonyms

References
  1. “小な”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.