In this study, an investigation was made regarding meaning and usage of negative command expression in the languages of Japan and Korea such as 'NA' and 'MA'. These expressions can be divided into 'prevention of recurrence', 'deterrence of continuatio...
In this study, an investigation was made regarding meaning and usage of negative command expression in the languages of Japan and Korea such as 'NA' and 'MA'. These expressions can be divided into 'prevention of recurrence', 'deterrence of continuation', 'maintenance of action', and 'prevention in advance' based on the timing when such an action takes place. In the case of 'prevention of recurrence', the action that constitutes the target of a command took place in the past, and the command is used to prevent such an action in the future which took place once in the past or which continues from the past to the present when used together with such adverbs as 'mou or nidoto'. In the case of 'deterrence of continuation', the timing when the action that constitutes the target of the command is the present, and the command is used to stop action that is being implemented presently. In the case of 'maintenance of action', the timing when the action that constitutes the target of the command is the present. Although a negative command is used ordinarily to stop an action, this 'maintenance of action' is used to request maintenance of a certain state to the listener in which he or she is engaged presently at the time when the speaker utters the command. Hence it is possible to use this command together with 'sonomama' which means 'the state as it is without any change'. In the case of 'prevention in advance', the timing when the action that constitutes the target of the command is the future, and the command is used to ask not to carry out an action in advance which has not been implemented yet.