particles: を: あそこを登っている人が見まえすか？

[blippy]

Hoping someone can explain to me the use of the particle を in the featured sentence あそこを登っている人が見まえすか？
It is given in the appendices of a grammar book, used to apparently show the contrast with に (for the curious, example given is 明日富士山に登ろうと思います) but with absolutely no explanation as to what is its function or meaning.
Thanks in advance.

 

[undrentide]

I think Toritoribe's post in another thread answers your question.
富士山に登ったことがあります | Japan Forum

The whole thread 富士山に登ったことがあります
https://jref.com/threads/富士山に登ったことがあります.44550/

 

[Toritoribe]

In addition, if it's あそこに登っている人が見えますか？, it could be interpreted that あそこに modifies 見えますか; "Can you see a climbing man over there?", and not "Can you see a man climbing in there?"

 

[Glenn]

Could that be rephrased あそこから登っている人が見えますか in that interpretation? Although if I'm interpreting this correctly, it seems like it should be そこに・から.

 

[Toritoribe]

あそこから would be also interpreted as modifying 見えますか, thus, から indicates the point of the doer(seer); "Can you/we see him if you/we are in that place?", in the same sense as あそこからだと. That's the same to そこから or "your place"; "Can you see him in your place?"

 

[Glenn]

Ah, so here 登っている男 wouldn't be interpreted as 今登っている男 (i.e., progressive action), but as a state, as in もし登っている男がいるとしたら、あそこに見えますか. Does that make sense? So the interpretation is the same whether it's に or から when they modify 見える, then, right?

 

[Toritoribe]

It can be used also when a person is actually climbing and the speaker knows it.

（ここからは見えるけど/ここからは見えないけど、）あそこから/そこから登っている人が見えますか。


Back to the topic, @ the OP, を can exactly indicate the place the person is climbing without these ambiguities we are discussing here.

 

[Glenn]

There sure are a lot of ways to interpret that!

 

[blippy]

Sorry for late reply.

Right, I'm going to have to take some time to digest this, after which I will surely return with more amusing questions Thank you very much for your help thus far.