おっかない

Japanese

Etymology

Uncertain.[1] Perhaps from archaic おおけなし (ookenashi, impudent, undisciplined).[2] Alternately, perhaps from おっかながる (okkanagaru, to be afraid, be nervous).[3] The Linguistic Atlas of Japan suggested that the word was once common in the Tōhoku and Kantō regions, but it became increasingly colloquial or intimate during the early modern period (c. 17th to 19th century).[1]

Pronunciation

  • (Tokyo) っかな [òkkánáꜜì] (Nakadaka – [4])[2]
  • IPA(key): [o̞k̚ka̠na̠i]

Adjective

おっかない • (okkanai-i (adverbial おっかなく (okkanaku))

  1. (colloquial, dated, formerly in Tōhoku, Kantō) frightening; scary
    Synonyms: こわい (kowai), 恐ろしい (osoroshii)

Inflection

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 おっかない”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
  2. 2.0 2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (1995), 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN