「飛行ありき」

[Glenn]

This was in the title of an editorial I was reading earlier (オスプレイ陸揚げ／飛行ありきは認められぬ), and I wasn't entirely sure what it means. I checked ありき in the dictionary, and there were two entries:

ありき【歩き】
《動詞「あり（歩）く」の連用形から》あちこち動きま わること。出歩くこと。外出。「一の人の御―」〈枕・ 八八〉

More than likely not that one.

有(あ)りき
名詞などに付いて、そのことが既に存在した、また、か つてそこにあったの意を表す文語的表現。「初めに言葉 ―」「故宮ここに―」
[補説]「結論ありきの審議会」などの用法は、結論は既に決ま っており審議会は形式に過ぎないの意である。

I assumed it was this one, but didn't think the flights had happened yet. But, judging from the 補説, it seems to have a usage that something hasn't actually happened, but it's pretty much a matter of time as to when it will, right? If that's the case, it makes sense along with the title and the body of the article, and would mean "We can't accept that that flights will happen has already been decided" (OK, not the best English, I suppose...). I just want to make sure I've got this right. The sentiment the author is relaying is that if the Japanese and US governments are going to go through the motions of making sure the Osprey is safe and plan on going through with allowing the US military to fly low-level flights no matter what comes out in the findings, that is unacceptable. Is that correct?

追伸:

This き form is the classical past, right? 終止形「ありき」、連体形「ありし」、ってことになりますよね？

 

[Mike Cash]

Reword your translation using "foregone conclusion".

 

[Glenn]

Ah, I like that. That works pretty well. OK, so I was understanding it correctly. Thanks!

 

[Mike Cash]

I have no idea if you were understanding it correctly. I just thought "foregone conclusion" worked better.

 

[Glenn]

Oh. Ha, I thought you were saying I had the meaning right. Well then...

 

[Mike Cash]

Maybe you do, but you saw what happened the last time you listened to me.

 

[Glenn]

I thought you might say that.

 

[Glenn]

So, then... can I get a confirmation that I was on the right track here?

 

[Toritoribe]

Yes, き is a classical auxiliary verb which shows the past tense(especially for the case that the speaker actually experienced). I think its nuance is close to "as if", i.e., 飛行ありき means すでに飛行することが決まっているかのように扱うこと "to treat it as if the flight were already decided".

 

[Glenn]

OK, good. I'm glad I had that right!

So, about き... it's distinct from たり in Classical Japanese in that it's for direct experience, whereas たり is for both? And is the 連体形 of "き" "し"? Would たる be the 連体形 of たり?

 

[Toritoribe]

たり is indeed the etymology of た, but more likely for 完了, i.e., the perfect tense.

中世以降は、他の完了の助動詞「つ」「ぬ」「り」およ び過去の助動詞「き」「けり」などの用法をしだいに吸 収し、「たる」を経て現代語の「た」に引き継がれる。

たり - Yahoo!辞書

And is the 連体形 of "き" "し"? Would たる be the 連体形 of たり?

Yes.

 

[Glenn]

Ah. Wow. When I read 完了の助動詞「つ」の連用形に動詞「あり」の付いた「てあり」の音変化, I felt like I was taking a trip (way) back in time. 完了の助動詞「つ」？「行きつ戻りつ」という「つ」と同じなのかな。

 

[Toritoribe]

Yes, that's right.

３ 「…つ…つ」の形で、動作・作用が同時に、または繰り 返し行われることを表す。
3 は平安後期以降の用法。「つ」と「ぬ」の違いは、「つ 」が多く他動詞に付き、動作の完了、意志的な完了を表 すのに対し、「ぬ」は多く自動詞に付き、状態の発生、 自然的な完了を表す傾向がある。また、「つ」は事実・ 状態を直接的に表現するのに対し、「ぬ」は事実・状態 を傍観的に表現するという。

つ - Yahoo!辞書

These explanations remind me of my struggling at Classical Japanese grammar in high school days.

 

[Glenn]

Ha. Well... I was just about to post something about Classical Japanese, so... I guess we'll see how that goes.

Thanks!