にて

Japanese

Etymology 1

Supposed as case particle に (ni) + conjunctive particle て (te).^[1]^[2] Compare Korean -에서 (-eseo).

An alternative analysis suggests that に (ni) may be a conjugation of an ancient copular or stative verb ぬ (nu), which persists in modern Japanese as particle に (ni) and auxiliary verb ぬ (nu) / ず (zu). This would make nite appear to be a regular conjunctive conjugation of the copula. Compare the て form of Japanese verbs.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ɲ̟i te̞]

In the Tokyo dialect, accent-wise, にて has an 頭高型 (atamadaka-gata)-like pattern if it attaches high and is flatly low otherwise:
- 東京(とうきょう)にて (Tōkyō ni te): とうきょう [toːkyoː] (Heiban – [0]) → とうきょうにて [toːkyoː niꜜ te] (Nakadaka)
- 京都(きょうと)にて (Kyōto ni te): きょうと [kyoꜜːto] (Atamadaka – [1]) → きょうとにて [kyoꜜːto ni te] (Atamadaka – [1])

Particle

にて • (ni te)

formal version of で (de), indicating location or instrumental

Etymology 2

Alternative spelling
似て

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) にて [nìté] (Heiban – [0])
IPA^(key): [ɲ̟ite̞]

Verb

にて • (nite)

conjunctive form of にる

Etymology 3

Alternative spelling
煮て

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) にて [nìté] (Heiban – [0])
IPA^(key): [ɲ̟ite̞]

Verb

にて • (nite)

conjunctive form of にる

References

^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[KDJ-1] Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR-2] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

[2]