The は in the phrase そこはかとなく


I just came across the phrase そこはかとなく, which weblio translates as:

> 特にどこがどうと言うわけではないが、雰囲気として感じられる様子などを表す表現。  
>  Expresses the idea of feeling something as a mood, and not for any
> particular reason.

[This page](https://word-dictionary.jp/posts/4032) proposes that the phrase
originates from something like 其処は彼となく, that is, "in such a way that that
thing there is not a certain person". This seems plausible, but my confusion
was when I [looked into the reading for the
phrase](https://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q13199717243).

It seems that the は is to be read literally as _ha_ , and not as the particle
は _wa_ , which seems totally unexpected.

My question: Is は really read as _ha_ in this phrase? And if so, is it
actually the topic marker read in an unusual way, or is it something else
entirely?




From an ordinary modern speaker's point of view,

  * It is pronounces soko **ha** katonaku; and
  * There is absolutely no awareness that the は is a topic marker.

* * *

新明解語源辞典 supports the 2nd option of the linked chiebukuro answer : そこはかと =
そこ(pronoun) + はか (目当て）+ と, based on the fact that 日葡辞書 has an entry for soco
**fa** cato, so that は is not a particle (because it would be soco **wa** cato
if it is).

I'm not sure to what extent this argument is valid. そこはかと seems to appear
already in the tale of Genji (11th century) while 日葡辞書 was compiled 1603-04.
It could be that the etymology was simply forgotten by then.

* * *

Personal opinion:

  * Even before looking up all these, I pronounce it like そこ/はかと/なく
  * The accents are the same: そこ[はかと]{HHL} and [はかが]{HHL}いく (which uses the same はか=目当て).
  * The accent is different for 其処[は彼]{LH}となく (according to me)

I know nothing about how the accents have changed over these 1000+ years, and
the above may not be good reasons, but anyway I そこはかとなく feel that this theory
looks more plausible.




From an ordinary modern speaker's point of view,

  * It is pronounces soko **ha** katonaku; and
  * There is absolutely no awareness that the は is a topic marker.

* * *

新明解語源辞典 supports the 2nd option of the linked chiebukuro answer : そこはかと =
そこ(pronoun) + はか (目当て）+ と, based on the fact that 日葡辞書 has an entry for soco
**fa** cato, so that は is not a particle (because it would be soco **wa** cato
if it is).

I'm not sure to what extent this argument is valid. そこはかと seems to appear
already in the tale of Genji (11th century) while 日葡辞書 was compiled 1603-04.
It could be that the etymology was simply forgotten by then.

* * *

Personal opinion:

  * Even before looking up all these, I pronounce it like そこ/はかと/なく
  * The accents are the same: そこ[はかと]{HHL} and [はかが]{HHL}いく (which uses the same はか=目当て).
  * The accent is different for 其処[は彼]{LH}となく (according to me)

I know nothing about how the accents have changed over these 1000+ years, and
the above may not be good reasons, but anyway I そこはかとなく feel that this theory
looks more plausible.

