くない

Japanese

Alternative forms

  • くなし (“kunashi”)

Etymology 1

Alternative spellings
苦無
苦内

Unknown. The kanji spellings appear to be ateji (当て字).

This term appears to be rare, and it is not listed in many dictionaries.[1][2][3][4]

Pronunciation

  • (Tokyo) くない [kúꜜnàì] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • IPA(key): [kɯ̟na̠i]

Noun

くない or クナイ • (kunai) 

  1. (weaponry) a Japanese weapon, possibly derived from a masonry trowel
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
  • 小(しょう)苦(く)無(ない) (shō-kunai, “small kunai”)
  • 大(だい)苦(く)無(ない) (dai-kunai, “big kunai”)
Descendants
  • → English: kunai
See also

Etymology 2

Derived as a repurposing of the negative ending -ku nai of regular -i adjectives. Appears as slang in informal usage where standard Japanese would use じゃない (ja nai) instead.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [kɯ̟na̠i]

Particle

くない • (kunai) 

  1. [from 2008?] (informal, slang) isn't it, aren't you (said when seeking confirmation from the listener)
    あるくない？[1]
    Aru kunai?
    They have that, don't they?

References

  1. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ^ 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
  4. ^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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