にわか
Japanese
| Alternative spellings |
|---|
| 俄 俄か |
Etymology
*/nipaka/ → /niɸaka/ → /niwaka/
From Old Japanese. First attested in the Man'yōshū of 759 CE.[1][2]
Appears to be composed of root niwa of uncertain derivation + adjective-forming suffix か (ka). Compare related ancient adverbial form 俄しく (niwashiku), comprising this same niwa element, suffixed instead with the しい (shii) adjective-forming suffix in the adverbial inflection.
Pronunciation
Adjective
にわか • (niwaka) ←にはか (nifaka)?-na (adnominal にわかな (niwaka na), adverbial にわかに (niwaka ni))
- [from 790s] sudden, abrupt, unexpected, improvised, offhand
- にわかには信じがたい
- niwaka ni wa shinjigatai
- difficult to immediately believe
- にわかには信じがたい
- [from 759] suddenly serious (said of an illness; most often in the construction にわかになる (niwaka ni naru))
- [from early 1200s] temporary, makeshift, impermanent, ad hoc
Inflection
| Stem forms | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperfective (未然形) | にわかだろ | niwaka daro | |
| Continuative (連用形) | にわかで | niwaka de | |
| Terminal (終止形) | にわかだ | niwaka da | |
| Attributive (連体形) | にわかな | niwaka na | |
| Hypothetical (仮定形) | にわかなら | niwaka nara | |
| Imperative (命令形) | にわかであれ | niwaka de are | |
| Key constructions | |||
| Informal negative | にわかではない にわかじゃない |
niwaka de wa nai niwaka ja nai | |
| Informal past | にわかだった | niwaka datta | |
| Informal negative past | にわかではなかった にわかじゃなかった |
niwaka de wa nakatta niwaka ja nakatta | |
| Formal | にわかです | niwaka desu | |
| Formal negative | にわかではありません にわかじゃありません |
niwaka de wa arimasen niwaka ja arimasen | |
| Formal past | にわかでした | niwaka deshita | |
| Formal negative past | にわかではありませんでした にわかじゃありませんでした |
niwaka de wa arimasen deshita niwaka ja arimasen deshita | |
| Conjunctive | にわかで | niwaka de | |
| Conditional | にわかなら（ば） | niwaka nara (ba) | |
| Provisional | にわかだったら | niwaka dattara | |
| Volitional | にわかだろう | niwaka darō | |
| Adverbial | にわかに | niwaka ni | |
| Degree | にわかさ | niwakasa | |
- Although this is listed in Japanese dictionaries as a 形容動詞 (keiyō dōshi, “-na adjective”), use with the expected な (na) adnominal particle appears to be uncommon. When used attributively, this is much more commonly found with the genitive and possessive particle の (no), treating the term more as a noun.
Derived terms
- 俄雨 (niwaka ame): a sudden downpour, a rain shower
- 俄踊り (niwaka odori): a comedic dance at a banquet; a comedic dance performed as part of a 俄狂言 (niwaka kyōgen, “an impromptu comic interlude during a Noh play”)
- 俄狂言 (niwaka kyōgen): a farce; an impromptu comic interlude during a Noh play
- 俄拵え (niwakagoshirae): hasty or makeshift construction; something put together in such a fashion
- 俄事 (niwakagoto): a sudden event, occurrence, or circumstance
- 俄師 (niwakashi): a professional performer of 俄狂言 (niwaka kyōgen, “an impromptu comic interlude during a Noh play”)
- 俄仕込み (niwakajikomi): rapid production to meet a need; cramming to learn something in time, particularly for a performance
- 俄仕立て (niwakajitate): hasty or makeshift construction; something put together in such a fashion
- 俄芝居 (niwaka shibai): a 俄狂言 (niwaka kyōgen, “a farce”)
- 俄大尽 (niwaka daijin): sudden wealth; someone who has become suddenly wealthy
- 俄長者 (niwaka chōja): someone who has become suddenly wealthy
- 俄作り (niwaka zukuri): hasty or makeshift construction; something put together in such a fashion
- 俄道心 (niwaka dōshin): a sudden religious motivation and departure from one's home; a person who experiences and does such a thing
- 俄成り金 (niwaka narikin): sudden wealth; someone who has become suddenly wealthy
- 俄日和 (niwaka biyori): a sudden clearing of the sky after a rain
- 俄分限 (niwaka bugen): sudden wealth; someone who has become suddenly wealthy
- 俄普請 (niwaka bushin): hasty or makeshift construction of a foundation; such a foundation
- 俄分限 (niwaka bungen): sudden wealth; someone who has become suddenly wealthy
- 俄坊主 (niwaka bōzu): someone who has a sudden religious motivation and becomes a monk, nun, or other devotee
- 俄雪 (niwaka yuki): a sudden snowfall, a sudden flurry
Related terms
- 俄しく (niwashiku): suddenly (archaic, possibly obsolete)
Noun
- short for 俄狂言 (niwaka kyōgen, “a farce; an impromptu comic interlude during a Noh play”)
- (by extension) any impromptu joke, witticism, or pun
- short for 俄ファン (niwaka fan, “(Internet slang) bandwagon fan”)
- 2019 January 27, ねことうふ, “第24話 まひろと共通の話題”, in お兄ちゃんはおしまい！[1]:
- 「語れるヤツが居てよかったよー あ シリーズだとどれが好き？ やっぱVIだよね〰」
「え…シックス？ ごめん やってない…」
「何ぃ？ニワカめ〰〰」
「だって生まれる前のやつだしなぁ…」- “Katareru yatsu ga ite yokatta yō a shirīzu da to dore ga suki? Yappa shikkusu da yo ne~”
“E…shikkusu? Gomen yattenai…”
“Nanī? Niwaka-me~~”
“Datte umareru mae no yatsu da shi nā…” - "I'm just glad that there's someone I can talk to about it now / Oh, of the series, which one do you like? VI, right? Of course it's VI."
"Um… six? Sorry; I haven't played that one."
"Whaat? Ya casual~~"
"Well, it is from before I was born, after all…"
- “Katareru yatsu ga ite yokatta yō a shirīzu da to dore ga suki? Yappa shikkusu da yo ne~”
- 「語れるヤツが居てよかったよー あ シリーズだとどれが好き？ やっぱVIだよね〰」
See also
References
- ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988), 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- ^ 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), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
- ^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- Ineko Kondō, Fumi Takano, Mary E. Althaus, et al. (2002), Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, third edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN