Tagged Questions
3
votes
1answer
114 views
Origin of ~なければ ならない
The expression ~なければ ならない if I learned correctly means "must not not do ..." as in:
日本語を勉強しなければなりません。
You must not not learn Japanese. (i.e. you need to learn Japanese)
However, taken on face value ...
2
votes
1answer
174 views
The uses & etymology of で
In Japanese, the particle で seems to have multiple uses:
Instrumental: 車{くるま}で大阪{おおさか}に行{い}った。 "I went to Osaka by car."
Locative: 図書館{としょかん}で数学{すうがく}を勉強{べんきょう}している。 "I'm studying math in the ...
3
votes
1answer
194 views
What function did あり perform in classical Japanese 形容詞?
In classical Japanese, many uses of 形容詞{けいようし} had あり "embedded" in them, e.g.:
熱からず = 「熱し」の連用形＋「あり」の未然形{みぜんけい}＋「ず」
熱かりたり = 「熱し」の連用形＋「あり」の連用形{れんようけい}＋「たり」
熱かれ = 「熱し」の連用形＋「あり」の命令形{めいれいけい}
熱かる人 = ...
3
votes
1answer
148 views
Etymology of それはそうと
Can anyone explain the etymology of それはそうと【其れはそうと】and possibly the grammar of how it fits into a sentence, which does not seem to follow the normal rules (It should have a copula だ、そうだと？)? I think of ...
8
votes
1answer
158 views
Can けれども be analysed further?
Consider the conjunction ども, e.g.:
行けども
言えども
Formation rule:
Verb Hypothetical form (仮定形) + ども
This leads me to hypothesise that the conjunction けれども (meaning "but; however; although") is ...
7
votes
1answer
214 views
Imperative used instead of conditional form
This quesion:
と言っても vs とは言え .
reminded me of a similar case:
どっちにしても vs どっちにしろ
which are also synonymous as far as I can tell.
That got me thinking:
Is this coincidental? Are there ...
10
votes
1answer
174 views
Unifying concept for noun-adjectives of the pattern Xかな
Consider these:
～か：
静か
愚か
厳か
～やか:
穏やか
鮮やか
賑やか
～らか:
柔らか
滑らか
明らか
There are many more that I've not listed.
The か/やか/らか at the end of these words ...
10
votes
1answer
164 views
What is the significance of a large く character in literary texts?
I am currently reading an early story by Tanizaki Junichiro in Japanese. I have come across both the hiragana く and ぐ written twice the size they usually are, taking up the same amount of space on the ...
4
votes
2answers
207 views
Understanding the たがい in 仲たがい
What is the etymology of the suffix(?)たがい in 仲たがい and how is it used to express discord? If this is a suffix as such, is it used in combination with any other words?
4
votes
1answer
223 views
Confusion between causatives and intransitive-transitive
I read the answer to this question
How different is 冷やかす from 冷やす? And 散らかす from 散らす?
but somehow wasn't satisfied.
What's the difference between the 2 causative forms ～す and ～せる, e.g. 待たす and ...
2
votes
2answers
116 views
What may be the etymology of たり?
Hi all does anyone know why does たりとも mean "not even; not any" ?
Example sentence: 一問たりとも答えられなかった
I was thinking the たり is attached to 一問 to mean something like "stuff like one question" and と means ...
