Wednesday, September 18, 2019

particles - can 美化語{びかご} create implied subjects?


As mentioned in the Addressing strangers without knowing the name thread, 敬語{けいご} often communicates the implied actors in a sentence. The thread titled using 美化語 in 謙譲語 verb forms does not make sense, right? raises the issue of whether 美化語 is 敬語, or not. Then, I noticed example sentences in the thread titled 「を」 object marker in this 受身形 sentence that would seem to add more clarity regarding whether 美化語 is 敬語 (and thus can be used to create implied actors):


Can an implied subject be created by adding 美化語 to 財布:


usage case #1
"泥棒{どろぼう}に財布{さいふ}が盗{ぬす}まれた。"

"泥棒に 財布が盗まれた。"
Here, both are ok. The "お" is optional because the owner of the wallet is not known. Personally, I would not add the "お".


usage case #2
"泥棒に財布を盗まれた。"
The use of "を" implies that I am the owner of the wallet. So, that means that I cannot make the wallet honorific. which means that, if 美化語 is 敬語, then I cannot say:
"泥棒に 財布を盗まれた。"


In essence, this the progression:
(1) "泥棒に財布を盗まれた。" // ok. The implied owner of the wallet is me.
(2) "泥棒に 財布を盗まれた。" // whoops. I have made something that is mine, the wallet, honorific by adding 美化語 on the wallet.


conclusion

In usage case #2 (modify 財布 with を)、 adding 美化語 to 財布 is still grammatically correct, but sounds unnatural because I am misusing honorifics?



Answer



美化語 is not 尊敬語 (=honorific), although 美化語 is a subset of 敬語.


Using 美化語 simply "beautifies" the target word. Saying お財布 (instead of 財布) does not imply the owner of the wallet, and you can always say 私のお財布 if you like. In this case, 「泥棒にお財布を盗まれました」 is a perfect way to say "I had my wallet stolen".


Likewise, you can usually say (my) "お寿司", "お友達", "お風呂", "お菓子" etc., without worrying about honorifics at all, because these are 美化語 (male speakers use these less frequently, though)


But you cannot use words like "お体", "お姿", "お目", "お手", "ご気分", etc., if these nouns belong to yourself. Some people say "私のお仕事" is not good in formal conversations, either. So it depends.


From 文化庁's 敬語の指針 (PDF), page 37:



自分のことに「お」や「御」を付けてはいけないと習ったような気がするが 「お待ちしています」や「御説明をしたいのですが」などと言うときに,自分の動作なのに 「お」や「ご」を付けるのは,おかしくないのだろうか。これは,どう考えれば良いのだろうか。

【解説】自分側の動作やものごとなどにも 「お」や「御」を付けることはある。自分の動作やものごとでも,それが<向かう先>を立てる場合であれば,謙譲語Ⅰとして,「(先生を)お待ちする」「(山田さんに)御説明をしたい」など「お」や「御」を付けることには全く問題がない。また「私のお帽子」など,美化語として用いる場合もある。「お」や「御」を自分のことに付けてはいけないのは,例えば 「私のお考え」「私の御理解」など,自分側の動作やものごとが相手側や第三者に直接かかわらない場合で,自分側の動作やものごとを立ててしまう場合である。この場合は,結果として,自分側に尊敬語を用いてしまう誤用となる。




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