かな
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See also: がな
Japanese[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Combination of か (ka, interrogative particle) + な (na, mild exclamatory particle).[1]
First attested in the late-Edo period as an apparent shift in sense from the Old Japanese and classical usage, wherein the な (na) came to express more a sense of mild doubt rather than admiration[1] (see that section for more).
Particle[edit]
- [from early 1800s] expresses a question with a feeling of worry
- 彼は怪しい人かな。 ― Kare wa ayashii hito ka na. ― I wonder if he's a suspicious person.
- まあ、そうかな。 ― Mā, sō ka na. ― Well, maybe so.
- expresses skepticism: really?, is it?
- (in the form ～ないかな (...nai ka na)) expresses affirmation: I hope, I wish
- expresses confusion
Etymology 2[edit]
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 哉 |
From Old Japanese. First attested in the early 700s.[1]
From か (ka, particle indicating doubt or uncertainty) + な (na, mild exclamatory particle).
Displaced particle かも (ka mo) around the early-Middle Japanese stage.[1][2]
Particle[edit]
- [from early 700s] (Classical Japanese or literary) expresses wonder or postulation on the part of the speaker
- 善き哉！
- Yoki ka na!
- Wonderful!
- 善き哉！
Usage notes[edit]
Still used in contexts that deliberately evoke a classical or literary sense, such as poetry.[2]
Derived terms[edit]
Derived terms
Etymology 3[edit]
| For pronunciation and definitions of かな – see the following entries. | ||
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| (This term, かな, is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as かな, see Category:Japanese kanji read as かな.) |
Etymology 4[edit]
| For pronunciation and definitions of かな – see the following entries. | ||
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| (This term, かな, is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as かな, see Category:Japanese kanji read as かな.) |