まばら

Japanese

Alternative spellings
疎ら疏ら

/ma abara/ → /mabara/

Originally a compound of 間 (ma, “interval, gap, space between”) +‎ あばら (abara, “widely spaced, with large gaps, wide open”).^[1]^[2]

First cited to a text from 1086.^[3]

まばら • (mabara) ^{←まばら (mabara)^?}-na (adnominal まばらな (mabara na), adverbial まばらに (mabara ni))

[from 1086] barren, sparse, thin, straggling, scattered
人(ひと)通(どお)りがまばらな商(しょう)店(てん)街(がい)
hitodōri ga mabara na shōtengai
a shopping arcade where passers-by are sparse

Inflection of まばら

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	まばらだろ	mabara daro
Continuative (連用形)	まばらで	mabara de
Terminal (終止形)	まばらだ	mabara da
Attributive (連体形)	まばらな	mabara na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	まばらなら	mabara nara
Imperative (命令形)	まばらであれ	mabara de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	まばらではないまばらじゃない	mabara de wa nai mabara ja nai
Informal past	まばらだった	mabara datta
Informal negative past	まばらではなかったまばらじゃなかった	mabara de wa nakatta mabara ja nakatta
Formal	まばらです	mabara desu
Formal negative	まばらではありませんまばらじゃありません	mabara de wa arimasen mabara ja arimasen
Formal past	まばらでした	mabara deshita
Formal negative past	まばらではありませんでしたまばらじゃありませんでした	mabara de wa arimasen deshita mabara ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	まばらで	mabara de
Conditional	まばらなら（ば）	mabara nara (ba)
Provisional	まばらだったら	mabara dattara
Volitional	まばらだろう	mabara darō
Adverbial	まばらに	mabara ni
Degree	まばらさ	mabarasa

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →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