短い

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
短
みじか Grade: 3
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
短かい (less common, possibly proscribed)

⟨mi₁zikasi⟩ → /mizikasi/ → /mid͡ʑikaɕi/ → /mid͡ʑikaki/ → /mid͡ʑikai/

From Old Japanese. Cited in the Man'yōshū, dated to roughly 759 CE.

Appears to be derived as a compound, but the constituent parts remain obscure. The stem form mijika is also found in compounds, and in the now-obsolete adjective forms 短やか (mijikayaka) and 短らか (mijikaraka), indicating that the ‑ka in mijika is not the adjectivizing suffix か (‑ka) (as in 静か shizuka), and is instead part of the root term.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) みじかい [mìjíkáꜜì] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [mʲiʑika̠i]

• Tokyo pitch accent of inflected forms of 「短い」

Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Continuative (連用形)	短く	みじかく みじかく	[mìjíꜜkàkù] [mìjíkáꜜkù]
Terminal (終止形)	短い	みじかい	[mìjíkáꜜì]
Attributive (連体形)	短い	みじかい	[mìjíkáꜜì]
Key constructions
Informal negative	短くない	みじかくない みじかくない	[mìjíꜜkàkùnàì] [mìjíkáꜜkùnàì]
Informal past	短かった	みじかかった みじかかった	[mìjíꜜkàkàttà] [mìjíkáꜜkàttà]
Informal negative past	短くなかった	みじかくなかった みじかくなかった	[mìjíꜜkàkùnàkàttà] [mìjíkáꜜkùnàkàttà]
Formal	短いです	みじかいです	[mìjíkáꜜìdèsù]
Conjunctive	短くて	みじかくて みじかくて	[mìjíꜜkàkùtè] [mìjíkáꜜkùtè]
Conditional	短ければ	みじかければ みじかければ	[mìjíꜜkàkèrèbà] [mìjíkáꜜkèrèbà]

Adjective

短(みじか)い • (mijikai) -i (adverbial 短(みじか)く (mijikaku))

1. short, brief

   Synonym: (Kagoshima) みひけ (mihike)

2. [from 759] short, brief (in time)
3. [from 974] short (in space, from one point to another)
4. [date uncertain] short, brief (in length, such as a text or speech)
5. [mid 900s–late 1500s] (archaic) short (in height)

   Mostly superseded in modern usage by 低い (hikui, “short”, in height).

6. [from 858] common, not part of the aristocracy
7. [from 905] short on intelligence or maturity: dimwitted, dull; shallow, superficial

   Synonyms: 鈍い (nibui, “dim, dull”), 浅薄 (senpaku, “shallow, superficial”)

8. [from early 900s] short of attention: fickle, shallow-hearted, flighty

   Synonyms: 薄情 (hakujō, “shallow-hearted, fickle, unfeeling”), 変わりやすい (kawariyasui, “fickle, changeable, unsettled”)

9. [from early 1600s] short-tempered, impatient, impetuous

   Synonyms: せっかち (sekkachi, “hasty, impetuous”), 短気 (tanki, “quick-tempered, impatient”)

Inflection

Inflection of 短い

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	短かろ	みじかかろ	mijikakaro
Continuative (連用形)	短く	みじかく	mijikaku
Terminal (終止形)	短い	みじかい	mijikai
Attributive (連体形)	短い	みじかい	mijikai
Hypothetical (仮定形)	短けれ	みじかけれ	mijikakere
Imperative (命令形)	短かれ	みじかかれ	mijikakare
Key constructions
Informal negative	短くない	みじかくない	mijikaku nai
Informal past	短かった	みじかかった	mijikakatta
Informal negative past	短くなかった	みじかくなかった	mijikaku nakatta
Formal	短いです	みじかいです	mijikai desu
Formal negative	短くないです	みじかくないです	mijikaku nai desu
Formal past	短かったです	みじかかったです	mijikakatta desu
Formal negative past	短くなかったです	みじかくなかったです	mijikaku nakatta desu
Conjunctive	短くて	みじかくて	mijikakute
Conditional	短ければ	みじかければ	mijikakereba
Provisional	短かったら	みじかかったら	mijikakattara
Volitional	短かろう	みじかかろう	mijikakarō
Adverbial	短く	みじかく	mijikaku
Degree	短さ	みじかさ	mijikasa

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “short”): 長(なが)い (nagai): long

Derived terms

• 気(き)が短(みじか)い (ki ga mijikai): quick-tempered, impatient
• 気(き)の短(みじか)い (ki no mijikai): quick-tempered, impatient
• 手短(てみじか) (te mijika): brief, concise

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
短
みじか > みちか Grade: 3
irregular

Shift from standard Japanese mijikai.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mʲit͡ɕika̠i]

Adjective

短(みちか)い • (michikai) -i (adverbial 短(みちか)く (michikaku))

1. (Ibaraki dialect) short, brief

Further reading

• Ibaraki dialect entry at Nihon Jiten (in Japanese)