今更
いまさら · imasara · JLPT N1 · adverb
again
今 (now) + 更 (change): 'now, things have changed' = too late to matter, so 'now; again' by sound-alike to 'I'm ready? Imasara!'
更 — 丙 (bǐng) phonetic + 攴/攵 (action/strike)
Originally an oracle-bone graph showing a hand striking a watch-drum to mark night watches, hence 'to change shifts.' From this came the meanings 'to change' and 'to replace' (gēng). The reading gèng later developed the sense 'further, even more,' as in 'one watch further on.'