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Is one derived from the other? `身近` means - amongst other definitions -
"close/near to one(self)", so it's not that much of a leap to say that
something near to you is a "short" distance away, and get `短い` from that. Is
there any truth to this, or is it just coincidental? Or this there some other
kind of connection between these words?

  * Bonus Question: Does the correct spelling of `身近` use a `じ` or a `ぢ`? [Related Discussion](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1238592582)
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2013-06-24T18:17:39.777
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2013-06-24T19:40:29.767
2013-06-24T19:40:29.767
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words etymology homonyms
Are 短（い） and 身近（い・な） related?
The historical spelling (歴史的仮名遣い) of 短い uses a じ instead of a ぢ, so this rules
out the possibility of an etymological relationship between 短い and 身近.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-06-24T18:48:31.953
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2013-06-24T18:48:31.953
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answer