Japanese edit

Alternative spellings
暖かい
温かい

Etymology edit

Shift in usage from older -na adjective form あたたか (atataka).[1][2] First cited in 1703.[3]

Via root あたた (atata-), cognate with 温める (atatameru, to warm something, transitive) and 温まる (atatamaru, to get warm, intransitive).

Pronunciation edit

  • (Kyoto) あたたかい [átátáꜜkàì][6]

Adjective edit

あたたかい (atatakai-i (adverbial あたたかく (atatakaku))

  1. [from 1780] physically warm
  2. [from 1703] financially well off, rich
  3. [from 1907] thoughtful, understanding, emotionally warm

Usage notes edit

  • Depending on the author, the different kanji spellings might be used to distinguish specific nuances of meaning. (あたた)かい (atatakai) may emphasize "surrounding warmth", primarily the temperature of the weather, but also a warm and cozy sweater or futon (as opposed to one that is physically hot, such as from the dryer or heated by an electric blanket). By contrast, (あたた)かい (atatakai) emphasizes the temperature of objects or the subjective impression of feelings.

Inflection edit

Antonyms edit

Coordinate terms edit

Derived terms edit

References edit

  1. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. 2.0 2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ^ 暖・温”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, Nihon Kokugo Daijiten)[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  6. ^ Nakai, Yukihiko, editor (2002), 京阪系アクセント辞典 [A Dictionary of Tone on Words of the Keihan-type Dialects] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Bensei, →ISBN