jana

In dialects meant "row, line" (e.g. of traps), from where it was adopted into the literary language. The first instance of the modern meaning in geometry is from 1860.

There are two theories for the etymology of this word. The first supposes that the word is directly related to juoni, although the exact derivation is unclear. It is quite often described as a "sound-symbolic" variant of such, mainly in light of the supposed other obscured derivatives juna, jono and others. The other theory supposes a borrowing from Proto-Norse [script needed] (*(j)ānaʀ) (from Proto-Germanic *jēnaz; compare Old High German jān).

• IPA^(key): /ˈjɑnɑ/, [ˈjɑ̝nɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑnɑ
• Syllabification^(key): ja‧na
• Hyphenation^(key): ja‧na

jana

1. (geometry) line segment

• “jana”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

• Anja, ajan, jaan

From Sanskrit जन (jana).

jana m

1. person; man; people

• Burmese: ဇန (ja.na.)

Pali Text Society (1921–1925) “jana”, in Pali-English Dictionary‎, London: Chipstead

From Latin Diana, from Proto-Italic *deiwā, from Proto-Indo-European *deywós.

• IPA^(key): /ˈjana/

jana f (plural janas)

1. fairy

• IPA^(key): /ˈʄɑ.nɑ/

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

From Proto-Bantu [Term?].

jana (invariable)

1. last (most recent time)
   • 2019, “Uhuru wa vyombo vya habari: Waandishi wangapi waliouawa mwaka jana duniani?”, in BBC Swahili‎^[2]:

     Afghanistan inasalia kuwa nchi ilio hatari zaidi kuishi kama mwandishi habari, kukishuhudiwa vifo vya waandishi 16 mwaka jana.

     Afghanistan continues to be the most dangerous country for journalists to live in, bearing witness to the deaths of 16 journalists last year.

jana

1. yesterday
   • 2018 December 3, “MAGUFULI AMTAJA LOWASSA SHIDA YA MAJI”, in Taifa Leo‎^[3], archived from the original on 9 August 2019:

     Takribani wiki moja baada ya Rais John Magufuli na Edward Lowassa kupeana sifa, jana kiongozi mkuu huyo wa nchi amemtaja tena waziri mkuu huyo wa zamani, safari hii akimhusisha na ombi la mbunge wa Monduli kuhusu uhaba wa maji.

     About one week after President John Magufuli and Edward Lowassa exchanged praise, yesterday the head of state mentioned the former prime minister again, this time involving a request to MP Monduli's request about water shortages.

jana class IX (plural jana class X)

1. yesterday
   • 2019 July 24, Curtis Otieno, “ODM MP praises DPP Haji over CS Rotich's woes”, in Hivi Sasa‎^[4]:

     Tunataka sasa kuona watu wanafungwa katika kesi zote sio hii ya jana tu.

     Now we want to see people imprisoned in every case, not just yesterday's.

From the root of mwana.

jana class V (plural majana class VI)

1. augmentative of mwana: large child
2. larva, grub
   • 2005, Kakakuona, Issue 19‎^[5], Tanzania Wildlife Protection Fund, page 5:

     Wafugaji wengine waliokuwa wakifuga nyuki kwa kutumia vyungu walifaulu kutenganisha kundi la majana na lile la kuweka asali kwa kuweka nyansi zenye kuruhusu nyuki vibarua kupanda juu wakiwa wamejaa matumbo yao na mbochi na chavua kubakia kwenye mtungi wa chini kwenye malkia na majana.

     Other beekeeping ranchers using ants were successful in separating the group of larvae from the settled honey by leaving out grass to allow worker bees to rise above when they had filled their stomachs with nectar and pollen, leaving a jar below with the queen and larvae.

• kijana (“youth”)

From Proto-Cariban *pana.

• IPA^(key): [hʷana]

jana (possessed janadü)

1. ear

• Cáceres, Natalia (2011) “jana”, in Grammaire Fonctionnelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana‎^[6], Lyon
• Hall, Katherine Lee (1988) “hana”, in The morphosyntax of discourse in De'kwana Carib, volumes I and II, Saint Louis, Missouri: PhD Thesis, Washington University, page 289
• Hall, Katherine (2007) “hāna”, in Mary Ritchie Key & Bernard Comrie, editors, The Intercontinental Dictionary Series‎^[7], Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, published 2021

• -dana

From -de (“long, tall”) +‎ -ana (diminutive).

IPA^(key): /dʒaːna/

-jana

1. rather long
2. fairly tall

C. M. Doke, B. W. Vilakazi (1972) “-jana”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “-jana”