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I've only ever heard this form be used in the command "待ちな!" (Wait!), but just out of curiosity, I'd like to know what pitch accent rule(s) apply here. I thought I'd heard the above-mentioned phrase be pronounced as まちな{HLL}, but for some reason, that doesn't seem right to me, since this is a shortening of the なさい form, which is always pronounced with a pitch drop on さ. So wouldn't you say まちな{LHH}(さい{HL})? Following that logic, wouldn't you also say 食べな{LHH}?

What rule applies here? Is it the same for all verbs, whether they be accented or unaccented?

1 Answer 1

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this is a shortening of the なさい form, which is always pronounced with a pitch drop on さ. So wouldn't you say [まちな]{LHH}([さい]{HL})? Following that logic, wouldn't you also say [食べな]{LHH}?

You're right. We pronounce the positive imperative 「~~な」 this way:

[まちな]{LHH}。"Wait!"

[たべな]{LHH}。"Eat (it)!"

[いきな]{LHH}。"Go!"

[みな]{LH}。"Look!"

[あきらめな]{LHHHH}。"Give (it) up!"

[やりな]{LHH}。"Do (it)!"

[しな]{LH}。"Do (it)!"

[べんきょうしな]{LHHHHHH}。"Study!"

We don't pronounce 待ちな as [まちな]{HLL}.


I thought I'd heard the above-mentioned phrase be pronounced as [まちな]{HLL}

Maybe you heard 「待な」? The negative imperative 「な」 is pronounced with a low pitch:

[まつな]{HLL}。"Don't wait!"

[たべるな]{LHLL}。"Don't eat (it)!"

[いくな]{LHL}。"Don't go!"

[みるな]{HLL}。 "Don't look!"

[あきらめるな]{LHHHLL}。"Don't give up!"

[やるな]{LHL}。"Don't do it!"

[するな]{LHL}。"Don't do it!"

[べんきょうするな]{LHHHHHHL}。"Don't study!"

... or maaybe you heard Kansai-ben 「待ちいな」(imperative 待ちい + causal end-particle な)?

[まちい]{LHL}+[な]{L}/[さ]{L}/[や]{L}。"Wait!"

[たべえ]{LHL}+[な]{L}/[さ]{L}/[や]{L}。 "Eat!"

[しい]{HL}+[な]{L}/[さ]{L}。/ [せえ]{HL}+[や]{L}。"Do it!"

 

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