練られた

[eeky]

ご主人様はバーサの情報に基づいて、ある計画を練られた。

I suppose 練られた is an honorific form, yes?

 

[FuryoOyaji]

Yes. To place most verbs into the basic honorific form, you simply conjugate into the passive form.

練る＝練られる
書く＝書かれる
教える＝教えられる
する＝される
etc.

 

[eeky]

Thank you,

1. Probably this is a dumb-ish question, but can we only be sure that an honorific was intended rather than a passive by observing that the passive does not make any sense? (Obviously I understand that there will normally be contextual clues that an honorific form will be appropriate.)

2. Sometimes in this passage the speaker uses this "passive" honorific form, and sometimes, in similar-seeming contexts, an お～になる form. What is the difference between these two?

 

[Toritoribe]

1)
As for your example sentence, it can't be passive because of ご主人様は and ある計画を. If that's indirect passive, 練られてしまった is used instead.

Here's an example that both interpretations are possible.
Just looking to see how well I understand this story. | Japan Forum
2)
お～になる is more respectful than the passive form. Which form should be used is determined by the relation of the speaker and addressee.

 

[eeky]

お～になる is more respectful than the passive form. Which form should be used is determined by the relation of the speaker and addressee.

In this passage the same speaker uses both forms when talking about the same third party (ご主人様) to the same addressee, so then I suppose it is just natural variation in language with no great significance, right?

 

[Toritoribe]

The term "addressee" is not appropriate in that case, sorry. I should have used "the recipient of respect" instead.

Yes, there would be no problem to use ある計画をお練りになった.