Functions of Non-causative “令 shimu”in Japanized Chinese Writings in the Kamakura Period

Abstract

The auxiliary verb “令 shimu” was used in a causative sense in Classical Chinese writings. However, in Japanized Chinese writings in the Kamakura period of medieval Japan, it was widely used in a non-causative sense, which is presumed to have derived from a causative one. Regarding its function no agreement has been reached: some studies have suggested that the presence or absence of this auxiliary verb did not affect the meaning of a sentence; other ones have considered it to mean “humble”, “reflexive”, “marking volitional”, etc. Focusing more on its structural function than its semantic one, we made the following conclusions. The function of non-causative shimu is to mark the following word as a verb or make the word into a verb. It was used as a substitute for the light verb suru in Japanized Chinese writing in which neither Japanese native particles nor suffixes could be used. The origin of non-causative shimu could be the Classical Chinese causative construction “S shimu V,” where in some contexts shimu-V with causative meaning was semantically close to a transitive verb and shimu was reanalyzed as a marker of verbs. In the position of V stands a wide range of actions, such as both volitional and non-volitional actions, and inanimate-subjects events; it can even be an adjective. Prior research has noted that the function of shimu was similar to that of “致 itasu,” but the fact that words following itasu were not verbs but nouns and semantically limited to volitional actions indicates that they function differently.