nearness
近さ
解説 Definition
物が近い距離にある、または接近している状態を指す名詞。相互間の距離の短さまたは親密さを示す。
Nearness is the state of being close in distance, time, or relationship. It can describe physical closeness or a more general sense of something being almost present or strongly connected.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
near が「近い」で、-ness が「その状態」を名詞化する形。まず kind→kindness と同じ作りだと押さえると、nearness はそのまま「近いこと」。距離の近さだけでなく、人間関係の closeness に近い「親しさ」にも広がる。語感は proximity より日常的で柔らかめ。the nearness of the station のような物理的な近さにも、between them のような心理的な近さにも使える。nearby は形容詞・副詞で、名詞ではない点にも注意。
Build it from `near` + `-ness`, just like `kind` becomes `kindness`. That makes `nearness` easy to remember as the state of being near. It can be physical, like `the nearness of the station`, or emotional, closer to `closeness`.
例文
The nearness of the ocean to their home made it convenient for swimming.
彼らの家の海への近さは泳ぐのに便利だった。
She felt a sense of nearness to her family during the holiday gathering.
彼女は休日の集まりで家族への近さの感覚を感じた。
The nearness of the deadline created urgency in the team.
締め切りの近さはチームに緊急性を生み出した。
nearness の類義語・関連語
nearness の語源・成り立ち Etymology
nearness は古英語 neah「近い」＋ 名詞化語尾 -ness から成る、英語本来の語です。nigh や next も同系で、もともと「すぐそば」の感覚を名詞化した語だとわかると、近さが距離だけでなく心理的な親しさにも広がる理由が見えます。
Nearness is a native English word, formed from near and the noun ending -ness. Near goes back to Old English neah, meaning "close." Over time, the idea of physical closeness also grew into emotional closeness, which is why the word can suggest both distance and personal feeling. Related words include nigh and next.
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