How does かたじけなや differ from regular かたじけない?


Many times I heard/read an archaic form of giving thanks to somebody かたじけない
modified to かたじけなや. I also think I heard ありがたや quite a lot.

What exactly does this や at the end (is it regional, emphatic, or else?) and
how does it sound to a native speakers' ears?




This や is an old 終助詞 which is [described here](http://www.asahi-
net.or.jp/~sg2h-ymst/yamatouta/intro/josi05.html#ab02). It's probably similar
to the English exclamation mark, or "Oh/O" seen in verses and lyrics.
Basically it is only found in old Japanese and haiku. (や used in Kansai-ben is
different from this, I think)

In _modern_ Japanese usage, ありがたや sounds archaic as compared to ありがたい. It
sounds as if you were jokingly simulating a person in the past who is
faithfully worshiping Japanese 神 and 仏. Or it sounds like you were thanking
for something in an exaggerated manner, as if you saw a miracle of God.

A typical usage of ありがたや can be found in [this page introducing a VPN
router](http://jp.yamaha.com/products/network/solution/asciimw_bb_03/). The
men in the picture are worshiping the almighty router!

> QoSも、VPNも、バックアップも1台で済むとは。ありがたや、ありがたや

Don't use it in formal situations, because ありがたや is usually used jokingly like
this.

I think かたじけない is already an archaic, samurai-like wording, and people use it
only as a joke today. So I see very little difference between かたじけなや and
かたじけない. Theoretically though, the former is more emphatic.




This や is an old 終助詞 which is [described here](http://www.asahi-
net.or.jp/~sg2h-ymst/yamatouta/intro/josi05.html#ab02). It's probably similar
to the English exclamation mark, or "Oh/O" seen in verses and lyrics.
Basically it is only found in old Japanese and haiku. (や used in Kansai-ben is
different from this, I think)

In _modern_ Japanese usage, ありがたや sounds archaic as compared to ありがたい. It
sounds as if you were jokingly simulating a person in the past who is
faithfully worshiping Japanese 神 and 仏. Or it sounds like you were thanking
for something in an exaggerated manner, as if you saw a miracle of God.

A typical usage of ありがたや can be found in [this page introducing a VPN
router](http://jp.yamaha.com/products/network/solution/asciimw_bb_03/). The
men in the picture are worshiping the almighty router!

> QoSも、VPNも、バックアップも1台で済むとは。ありがたや、ありがたや

Don't use it in formal situations, because ありがたや is usually used jokingly like
this.

I think かたじけない is already an archaic, samurai-like wording, and people use it
only as a joke today. So I see very little difference between かたじけなや and
かたじけない. Theoretically though, the former is more emphatic.

