ねっこ

Japanese

Alternative spellings
根子 根っ子 根っこ

Etymology

Of 根 (ne, “root”) +‎ こ (-ko, “object, part”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ねっこ [nèkkóꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [ne̞k̚ko̞]

Noun

ねっこ • (nekko) ^{←ねつこ (netuko)?}

1. root (of a plant); (frequently) tree roots above the surface of the ground

   Synonym: 根 (ne)

   • 1937, Kanehara Shōgo, Kōsō no kenkyū, page 201:

     たださむそうにぼんやりして、木(き)のねっこには真(まっ)白(しろ)な雪(ゆき)がつもって、あをいかわいらしいはっぱがところどころにみえるばかりです。

     Tada samusō ni bon'yari shite, ki no nekko ni wa masshiro na yuki ga tsumotte, aoi kawairashī happa ga tokorodokoro ni mieru bakari desu.

     It’s just a bit cold, the roots of the trees covered in white snow, and pretty little green leaves are beginning to appear here and there.

2. root (of an issue), foundation, origin

   Synonyms: 大本 (ōmoto, taihon), 根源 (kongen), 根本 (konpon, nemoto)

   • 2017, Asogawa Shizuo, Yo ni mo osoroshii Chugoku-jin no senryaku shiko [Extremely surprising ways Chinese people think], page 6:

     現(げん)在(ざい)中(ちゅう)国(ごく)の抱(かか)えている問(もん)題(だい)の多(おお)くは、なにも最(さい)近(きん)になって初(はじ)めて噴(ふん)出(しゅつ)してきたのではないこと知(し)ると、問(もん)題(だい)の根(ね)っこは「共(きょう)産(さん)党(とう)」や「一(いっ)党(とう)独(どく)裁(さい)」にあるのではないことが分(わ)かる。

     Genzai Chūgoku no kakaeteiru mondai no ōku wa, nanimo saikin ni natte hajimete funshutsu shitekita no de wa nai koto shiru to, mondai no nekko wa “Kyōsantō” ya “ittō dokusai” ni aru no de wa nai koto ga wakaru.

     Knowing that many of the problems China faces today are not of recent origin, we can understand that the roots of the problems do not lie with the “Communist Party” or “one-party rule”.

See also

• ネッコ (nekko)