ネタ

ネタ

Japanese

Etymology

Originally a slang word, derived by swapping the syllables of 種 (たね) (tane, “seed”).[1][2]

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ネタ [nètá] (Heiban – [0])[3]
• IPA^(key): [ne̞ta̠]

Noun

ネタ (hiragana ねた, rōmaji neta)

1. material or ingredients to make something
2. ideas for storytelling

   ネタに詰 (つ)まる

   neta ni tsumaru

   run out of ideas

3. an integral part of something, essence
4. evidence (of a crime)
5. motif (of a literary work)
6. topic (of a discussion)
7. the key ingredient (of sushi)

Derived terms

• ネタ切 (ぎ)れ (netagire): out of ideas, out of material

References

1. 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
3. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, ISBN 978-4-14-011112-3