expression, noun
trackless path; pathless way; uncharted path
A set phrase meaning a path where no path exists, often used metaphorically for pioneering or venturing into the unknown. The classical negative なき gives it a slightly literary or poetic feel.
彼は道なき道を進み、ついに新しい市場を開拓した。
He forged ahead on a trackless path and finally pioneered a new market.
人生は道なき道を歩むようなものだ。
Life is like walking a pathless way.
Refers to uncharted land or wilderness, while 道なき道 emphasizes the absence of a path and the act of forging one.
Means 'untrodden by predecessors'; 道なき道 is more about the path itself being absent, often used in a metaphorical sense.
A phrase composed of 道 (path), the classical negative adjective なき (without), and 道 again, literally 'a path without a path'. The construction follows classical Japanese grammar, giving it a literary tone.