The Choice of Active or Passive Voice in the Negative Form

LIU Zhiyi

doi:10.15026/0002000469

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

否定形における能動態・受動態の選択について
ヒテイケイニオケルノウドウタイ・ジュドウタイノセンタクニツイテ

Abstract

This paper examines the conditions for the possibility of choosing between active and passive in negative forms, and for semantic (in)variance between the two, as well as how “negation” influences the choice between active and passive. We have focused on the “sinai form” and “sinakatta form” and found the following. Active-passive choice and semantic (in)variance is contingent upon the ease with which the subject's property is obtained from the verb negated with sinai. On the other hand, when the verb is negated with sinakatta, the aspectual property of the verb plays the key role. More concretely, active-passive choice and semantic (in)variance depend on how readily one can get the meaning of “unfinished events” (i.e., avoidance of contact and avoidance of change) from the verb negated by sinakatta. In addition, regarding the conditions under which negation influences active-passive choice, it was found that negation tends to do so when the verb is negated with sinai and the subject's property is hard to obtain from the negated verb form. It was also found that the choice is affected when the verb is negated by sinakatta and belongs to class A (reversible change/durational verbs) or class B (verbs expressing contact between the agent and object).

Journal

日本語・日本学研究

日本語・日本学研究 14 1-16, 2024-03-31

Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, International Center for Japanese Studies