-まい/ Understanding dialogue

Rinilex · 1 Sep 2013

It's the same person whose dialogue on one particular page I'm struggling to understand.

1) After a letter arrives: "大樹の周囲を片付けるから共に来ないかという誘いだあﾈ。"

It's about a invitation... they haven't seen each other since something to do with the great tree was worked out?

2) では仕度をしてこよう・・・この服では動けまい。

"Then I'll go and get ready... I probably won't be able to move in these clothes"? I looked up -まい and there wasn't much on it, I read it has a meaning of "probably not"? And こよう = くる volitional form here?

3) 無論行かせてもらう - why is 行く causative here?

4) それでは行くとするか - does this mean "well then, shall we go?"

letianchen · 1 Sep 2013

まい is like "probably not"

高くはあるまい - ~ is probably not expensive

彼はたぶん誰の言うことも聞くまい - He probably will not listen to anyone's words.

Rinilex · 1 Sep 2013

letianchen said:
まい is like "probably not"

高くはあるまい - ~ is probably not expensive

彼はたぶん誰の言うことも聞くまい - He probably will not listen to anyone's words.

Oh, good, so that's right then... I like to check several sources when I look something up but I could barely find anything on it. :?

I've never even come across it before (or if I have, I didn't notice )

Yzlot · 1 Sep 2013

There's quite a few threads already on ~まい

~まい? | Japan Forum

This is just one of the more recent ones. To sum it up, ~まい can mean one of 2 things.

1. "will not happen"
2. negative volitional form of a verb, often indicating strong negative emotions

In your example, ~まい refers to #2. "I can't freely move in this dress(and it vexes me)"

3) causative + もらう means "I'll have you do ____ for me"

4) It's closer to "Well then, shall we get going?"

Yzlot · 1 Sep 2013

EDIT: Oops. internet is failing me Sorry for double post

Toritoribe · 1 Sep 2013

1)
来ないか is an expression for invitation. Thus, 大樹の周囲を片付けるから共に来ないか is the content of the invitation letter.

2)
Yes for こよう.

3)
"The -te form of causative + もらう" is a hamble expression for "to do", i.e., 行かせてもらう means "I (will) go" with connoting "it's for my benefit, so you don't need to be concerned about it".

"I'll have you do ____ for me" is for "the -te form + もらう"(行ってもらう).

4)
It can also mean "well then, I'll go".

Rinilex · 2 Sep 2013

Thank you, everyone!

Ahh, so 来ないか is "won't (both of) you come?" I missed that... but the 大樹の周囲を片付けるから - are they inviting them both because the senders of the letter are doing 大樹の周囲を片付ける? ("Because we're doing ___, won't you come?"?)

Toritoribe · 2 Sep 2013

共に来ないか can mean both "Won't both of you come here?" and "Won't you go there with me/us? (when the writer isn't in the place and they are going to go there)", but if the context tells that your interpretation is more appropriate, the answer is yes. (In the latter case, it can be rephrased with 共に行かないか.)

-まい/ Understanding dialogue

Rinilex

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letianchen

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Rinilex

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Yzlot

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Yzlot

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Toritoribe

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Rinilex

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Toritoribe

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