Understanding どことなく in terms of どこ＋と＋なく


The phrase 「どことなく」 (何処と無く) is translated in dictionaries as "somehow", "for
some reason", or "vaguely". It seems to be the combination of どこ ("which
place?") + と + なく (adverb form of ない).

**Problem:** I'm trying to understand how these three words combine to mean
this (to help me better remember it, and hopefully also to understand it and
similar phrases more deeply). In particular: which sense of と is being used to
define this word (the quotative particle, the "and" particle, the particle
meaning "with"?)?

My best guess is "some place and notly" (here "notly" is my attempt to turn
English word "not" into an adverb to fit ない being a 副詞).




That と is a quotative-と which can broadly [mark
"contents"](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/68132/5010), so the combined
literal meaning is something like "without (saying/specifying) where". どことなく
means it's hard to pinpoint the cause, but you vaguely feel something. This is
typically used when you are observing something visually and don't know what
part of the thing gave you such an impression.

Similar set phrases include:

  * なんとなく (lit. "without (saying) what"), なんとはなしに  
→ somehow; without any particular reason; I don't know why but ...

  * それとなく (lit. "without (saying) that")  
→ indirectly; obliquely; in a roundabout way

  * どこからともなく (lit. "without (saying) from-where")  
→ out of nowhere; I don't know where it came from but ...

  * いつからともなく (lit. "without (saying) from-when")  
→ (something happened) before I knew; without noticing

  * だれからともなく (lit. "without (saying) from-who")  
→ out of nowhere; spontaneously

  * だれにともなく (lit. "without (saying) to-who")  
→ (say something) to no one in particular

  * なんともない (lit. "there is no (saying) anything")  
→ no problem; nothing is wrong

  * いかんともしがたい (lit. "hard to do in any way")  
→ nothing can be done; cannot be helped

  * [そこはかとなく](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/90375/5010)




That と is a quotative-と which can broadly [mark
"contents"](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/68132/5010), so the combined
literal meaning is something like "without (saying/specifying) where". どことなく
means it's hard to pinpoint the cause, but you vaguely feel something. This is
typically used when you are observing something visually and don't know what
part of the thing gave you such an impression.

Similar set phrases include:

  * なんとなく (lit. "without (saying) what"), なんとはなしに  
→ somehow; without any particular reason; I don't know why but ...

  * それとなく (lit. "without (saying) that")  
→ indirectly; obliquely; in a roundabout way

  * どこからともなく (lit. "without (saying) from-where")  
→ out of nowhere; I don't know where it came from but ...

  * いつからともなく (lit. "without (saying) from-when")  
→ (something happened) before I knew; without noticing

  * だれからともなく (lit. "without (saying) from-who")  
→ out of nowhere; spontaneously

  * だれにともなく (lit. "without (saying) to-who")  
→ (say something) to no one in particular

  * なんともない (lit. "there is no (saying) anything")  
→ no problem; nothing is wrong

  * いかんともしがたい (lit. "hard to do in any way")  
→ nothing can be done; cannot be helped

  * [そこはかとなく](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/90375/5010)

