# にわか
## Japanese

* Alternative spellings
* 俄 俄か

### Etymology

*/nipaka/ → /niɸaka/ → /niwaka/
From Old Japanese. First attested in the Man'yōshū of 759 CE.
Appears to be composed of root niwa of uncertain derivation + adjective-forming suffix か (ka). Compare related ancient adverbial form 俄しく (niwashiku), comprising this same niwa element, suffixed instead with the しい (shii) adjective-forming suffix in the adverbial inflection.

### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) にわか [níꜜwàkà] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [ɲ̟iβ̞a̠ka̠]

### Adjective

にわか • (niwaka) -na (adnominal にわかな (niwaka na), adverbial にわかに (niwaka ni))
* [from 790s] sudden, abrupt, unexpected, improvised, offhand
    にわかには信(しん)じがたい
       niwaka ni wa shinjigatai
       difficult to immediately believe
* [from 759] suddenly serious (said of an illness; most often in the construction にわかになる (niwaka ni naru))
* [from early 1200s] temporary, makeshift, impermanent, ad hoc

#### Inflection

Stem forms :
| Imperfective (未然形) | にわかだろ | niwaka daro |
| Continuative (連用形) | にわかで | niwaka de |
| Terminal (終止形) | にわかだ | niwaka da |
| Attributive (連体形) | にわかな | niwaka na |
| Hypothetical (仮定形) | にわかなら | niwaka nara |
| Imperative (命令形) | にわかであれ | niwaka de are |
| Key constructions ||||
| Informal negative | にわかではない にわかじゃない | niwaka de wa nai niwaka ja nai |
| Informal past | にわかだった | niwaka datta |
| Informal negative past | にわかではなかった にわかじゃなかった | niwaka de wa nakatta niwaka ja nakatta |
| Formal | にわかです | niwaka desu |
| Formal negative | にわかではありません にわかじゃありません | niwaka de wa arimasen niwaka ja arimasen |
| Formal past | にわかでした | niwaka deshita |
| Formal negative past | にわかではありませんでした にわかじゃありませんでした | niwaka de wa arimasen deshita niwaka ja arimasen deshita |
| Conjunctive | にわかで | niwaka de |
| Conditional | にわかなら（ば） | niwaka nara (ba) |
| Provisional | にわかだったら | niwaka dattara |
| Volitional | にわかだろう | niwaka darō |
| Adverbial | にわかに | niwaka ni |
| Degree | にわかさ | niwakasa |
* Although this is listed in Japanese dictionaries as a 形容動詞 (keiyō dōshi, “-na adjective”), use with the expected な (na) adnominal particle appears to be uncommon. When used attributively, this is much more commonly found with the genitive and possessive particle の (no), treating the term more as a noun.

#### Derived terms

* 俄雨(にわかあめ) (niwaka ame): a sudden downpour, a rain shower
* 俄踊(にわかおど)り (niwaka odori): a comedic dance at a banquet; a comedic dance performed as part of a 俄狂言 (niwaka kyōgen, “an impromptu comic interlude during a Noh play”)
* 俄狂言(にわかきょうげん) (niwaka kyōgen): a farce; an impromptu comic interlude during a Noh play
* 俄拵(にわかごしら)え (niwakagoshirae): hasty or makeshift construction; something put together in such a fashion
* 俄事(にわかごと) (niwakagoto): a sudden event, occurrence, or circumstance
* 俄師(にわかし) (niwakashi): a professional performer of 俄狂言 (niwaka kyōgen, “an impromptu comic interlude during a Noh play”)
* 俄仕込(にわかじこ)み (niwakajikomi): rapid production to meet a need; cramming to learn something in time, particularly for a performance
* 俄仕立(にわかじた)て (niwakajitate): hasty or makeshift construction; something put together in such a fashion
* 俄芝居(にわかしばい) (niwaka shibai): a 俄狂言 (niwaka kyōgen, “a farce”)
* 俄大尽(にわかだいじん) (niwaka daijin): sudden wealth; someone who has become suddenly wealthy
* 俄長者(にわかちょうじゃ) (niwaka chōja): someone who has become suddenly wealthy
* 俄作(にわかづく)り (niwaka zukuri): hasty or makeshift construction; something put together in such a fashion
* 俄道心(にわかどうしん) (niwaka dōshin): a sudden religious motivation and departure from one's home; a person who experiences and does such a thing
* 俄成(にわかな)り金(きん) (niwaka narikin): sudden wealth; someone who has become suddenly wealthy
* 俄日和(にわかびより) (niwaka biyori): a sudden clearing of the sky after a rain
* 俄分限(にわかぶげん) (niwaka bugen): sudden wealth; someone who has become suddenly wealthy
* 俄普請(にわかぶしん) (niwaka bushin): hasty or makeshift construction of a foundation; such a foundation
* 俄分限(にわかぶんげん) (niwaka bungen): sudden wealth; someone who has become suddenly wealthy
* 俄坊主(にわかぼうず) (niwaka bōzu): someone who has a sudden religious motivation and becomes a monk, nun, or other devotee
* 俄雪(にわかゆき) (niwaka yuki): a sudden snowfall, a sudden flurry

#### Related terms

* 俄(にわ)しく (niwashiku): suddenly (archaic, possibly obsolete)

### Noun

にわか • (niwaka)
* Short for 俄狂言 (niwaka kyōgen, “a farce; an impromptu comic interlude during a Noh play”).
* (by extension) any impromptu joke, witticism, or pun
* Short for 俄ファン (niwaka fan, “(Internet slang) bandwagon fan”).
** 2019 January 27, ねことうふ, “第24話 まひろと共通の話題”, in お兄ちゃんはおしまい！‎:
    「語(かた)れるヤツが居(い)てよかったよー　あ　シリーズだとどれが好(す)き？　やっぱVI(シックス)だよね〰」 「え…シックス？　ごめん　やってない…」 「何(なに)ぃ？ニワカめ〰〰」 「だって生(う)まれる前(まえ)のやつだしなぁ…」
       “Katareru yatsu ga ite yokatta yō a shirīzu da to dore ga suki? Yappa shikkusu da yo ne~” “E…shikkusu? Gomen yattenai…” “Nanī? Niwaka-me~~” “Datte umareru mae no yatsu da shi nā…”
       "I'm just glad that there's someone I can talk to about it now / Oh, of the series, which one do you like? VI, right? Of course it's VI." "Um… six? Sorry; I haven't played that one." "Whaat? Ya casual~~" "Well, it is from before I was born, after all…"

#### See also

* 駄(だ)洒(じゃ)落(れ) (dajare): a pun, a groaner
* 地(じ)口(ぐち) (jiguchi): a pun

### References

* ↑ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* 1 2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* ↑ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
* ↑ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
   * 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.