南なん京きん

noun

Nanjing; Nanking

The city in China. The older romanization 'Nanking' is still sometimes seen in historical contexts.

• 南なん京きんは中ちゅう国ごくの歴れき史し的てきな都と市しです。

  Nanjing is a historic city in China.

noun

pumpkin; squash

Kansai dialect word for pumpkin/squash. In standard Japanese, カボチャ is used.

See also: かぼちゃ

• 関かん西さいでは、かぼちゃのことを南なん京きんと呼よぶことがある。

  In Kansai, pumpkin is sometimes called 南京.

noun, used as a prefix

Chinese; Southeast Asian; foreign

Prefix used in compound words to indicate something is Chinese, Southeast Asian, or foreign in origin. Often carries a slightly old-fashioned or exotic nuance.

• 「南なん京きん錠じょう」の南なん京きんは、外がい国こくから来きたという意い味み合あいがある。

  The 南京 in 南京錠 (padlock) carries the meaning that it came from abroad.

noun, used as a prefix

rare; precious; cute

Prefix used in a few old compound words to mean something small, rare, or cute. Not productive in modern Japanese.

• 「南なん京きん豆まめ」の南なん京きんは、小ちいさくてかわいらしいものを表あらわす古ふるい用よう法ほうです。

  The 南京 in 南京豆 (peanut) is an old usage that expresses something small and cute.