9527
(Moved from [Insertion of "y" sound between
vowels](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/9519/insertion-of-y-
sound-between-vowels) since it appeared to be unrelated.)

In the following quote:

> 私の世界へようこそ。 **今や** この世界をコントロールできる唯一の人間だ。

What is the function of the particle `や` here? I see a definition for `今や` in
[edict](http://jisho.org/words?jap=%E4%BB%8A%E3%82%84&eng=&dict=edict):

> now (esp. in contrast to the past); now at last; at present; right now

I don't understand how `や` figures into this, though. I would have expected
`今は`. Is there any way to understand the function of `や` here, or should I
memorize `今や` as a set phrase?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-21T02:06:10.497
9522
2015-07-14T19:39:33.980
2017-04-13T12:43:48.447
-1
question
set-phrases
Understanding the particle や in the phrase "今や"
[Goo](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/14978/m1u/%E4%BB%8A%E3%82%84/)
lists this や as being a 強意の間投助詞, i.e. an interjectory particle used for
emphasis.

That would be definition 4-2
[here](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/220994/m1u/%E3%82%84/), where it
also mentions またもや

I don't think this や is really productive anymore, so I would memorize 今や as a
word/an expression by itself.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-21T06:01:34.067
9527
2012-11-21T06:01:34.067
1073
9522
answer