なか

Japanese

Etymology 1
Alternative spellings
中
仲

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”) +‎ 処 (ka, “place”), literally “existing place”), compare 所 (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]

Might be related to Korean 안 (an, “inside”).[5]

Pronunciation

Noun

なか • (naka) ←なか (naka)?

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

Proper noun

なか • (Naka) 

  1. 仲: a surname

See also
  • Appendix:Gikun Usage in Meiji Version of Japanese Bible/中央

Etymology 2
Alternative spelling
無か

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [na̠ka̠]

Adjective

なか • (naka) †-ka

  1. Ka-ending dialect form of ない (nai)
    佐(さ)賀(が)はなんもなか
    Saga wa nan mo naka
    there's nothing (of worth) in Saga (local folk saying)

References
  1. “中・仲”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
  2. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  3. Alexander Vovin (2014) “Out of Southern China?”, in Academia.edu‎
  4. Martin, Samuel E. (1987) The Japanese Language Through Time, New Haven, London: Yale University Press, →ISBN
  5. John Whitman (2012) “The relationship between Japanese and Korean”, in ResearchGate‎
  6. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  7. NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK Publishing, →ISBN
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