片かたっ端ぱし

か

た

っ

ぱ

し

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

one edge; one end; one side

Refers to a single edge, end, or side of something. Often used in the adverbial phrase 片っ端から (from one end; thoroughly; one after another).

Kanji

片one-sided, leaf, sheet
端edge, origin, end

Related words

片かた端はし
片端 is an older, more formal reading of the same kanji meaning 'one edge/end', while 片っ端 is the common colloquial form with an emphatic geminate consonant, especially in 片っ端から.

Word family

片かたっ端ぱしから
one after another; systematically; thoroughly

Built from

片かた+端はし

Written forms

片かたっ端ぱし
Standard kanji spelling for this word.
片かたっぱし
Kana-mixed spelling that reflects the colloquial pronunciation; sometimes seen in informal writing.

Etymology

Derived from 片 (かた, 'one side') + 端 (はし, 'edge/end'), with an emphatic geminate consonant insertion (促音便) yielding かたっぱし. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the form is a colloquial variant of 片端 (かたはし).