Compound of連用(ren'yō,“attaching to aninflecting word”,where用(yō) is short for用言(yōgen,“inflecting word”)) +形(kei,“form”).[1][2]
連用形• (ren'yōkei)
- (grammar) aninflectional category: thecontinuative orstem form for verbs, theadverbial form for adjectives
- This is the base form after which various conjugational endings are added, such asて(te) orます(masu). SeeAppendix:Japanese verbs for more details.
- As a term describing an inherently Japanese grammatical form,連用形 is sometimes simply transliterated. When rendered into English, the term has been translated different ways by different authors. Alternative glosses include:
- In regards to-i adjectives:
- The initialk sound of the-ku ending can be elided, in a process calledウ音便. This is often seen in Heian-era language. In modern standard Japanese, this is usually found in fossilized phrases that are often (but not always) archaic. It also remains as a dialectal feature.
- ありがたく→ありがたう→ありがとう
- arigataku→arigatau→arigatō
- being difficult to exist → thank you
- 苦しくない→苦しうない→苦しゅうない
- kurushikunai→kurushiunai→kurushūnai
- it is not agonizing → there is no problem
- In modern Kansai dialect, an innovation has taken place where the-ku ending of the連用形 can be dropped, as:[5]
- 凄くない？→凄ない？
- Sugokunai?→Sugonai?
- Isn't it incredible?
- 高くなる→高なる
- takakunaru→takanaru
- to become higher
- ^Shōgaku Tosho (1988),国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese),Tōkyō:Shogakukan,→ISBN
- ↑2.02.1Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006),大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition,Tokyo:Sanseidō,→ISBN
- ^NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998),NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese),Tokyo:NHK Publishing, Inc.,→ISBN
- ^Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997),新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition,Tokyo:Sanseidō,→ISBN
- ^https://www.akenotsuki.com/kyookotoba/shin.html
- Sandness, Karen (1999),The Evolution of the Japanese Past and Perfective suffixes, Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan,→ISBN, pages3, 12, 42, others
- Henderson, Harold Gould (1948),Handbook of Japanese Grammar, Houghton Mifflin Co., page12
- Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Volume 6, University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies,1932, page643
