The Particle いで
In this lesson, we will direct attention to a unique grammar that, although not common, is a demonstration of how older grammar can evolve and survive—even if it becomes dialectical.
As indicated by the title, the grammar pattern to be discussed is ～いで. This derives from the conjunctive particle で, which although largely not used in Modern Japanese aside from set expressions, is equivalent in meaning and usage to ～ないで and ～ずに. We will first learn about the etymological background that links this ～で with ～いで. Then, we will learn about how ～いで remains used today.
The Origin of ～で & ～いで
The conjunctive particle で is the contraction of the 連用形 of ず combined with the conjunctive particle て. Whether the 連用形 is its more ancient ni– form or its zu– form used throughout most of written antiquity is uncertain, but etymology aside, ずて → で1 was a common contraction throughout the Classical Japanese periods.
As for how ～で functioned, it attached to the 未然形 of verbs and was equivalent to ～ずに・ないで. When followed by supplementary verbs, its affinity to modern speech is especially felt.
1a. この恨み、晴らさでおくべきか。（古語）
1b. この恨み、晴らさないでおけるものか。（現代語）
How could I not dispel this resentment?
2a. いかで月を見ではあらむ。（古語）
2b. いかにして月を見ないでいられるものか。（現代語）
How is it that one can stand not to look at the moon?
The pronunciation of the conjunctive particle で was actually [nde], and it is this pre-nasalization that led to it being rendered as いで starting in the Muromachi Period (1336-1573 AD), which continued following the 未然形 of verbs in regular fashion.
3a. 我とても女の身、腹が立たいであるものか。（古語）
3b. 私だって女の身、腹が立たないでいられるものか。（現代語）
I after all am a woman; how could I not get mad?
From 『寿の門松 』by 近松門左衛門.
4. 私や子供は何着いでも、とかく男は世間が大事。
Even if neither I nor the children have anything to wear, the world will remain important to the men.
From 『心中天網島 』by 近松門左衛門.
Use in Modern Japanese
The conjunctive particle いで continued being regular used in Japanese up into the Edo Period (1603-1868 AD). In the literature of the time, it was commonly used in 落語 (professional storytelling), as is evident from Exs. 3-4 from above.
Much like how ～ないで is used in Modern Japanese, the conjunctive particle いで was frequently followed by the particles は・も along with supplementary verbs as well as independent clauses to create concessive conditionals (逆接条件).
In Modern Japanese, all facets of いで have been supplanted by ～ないで, but it has managed to live on in most dialects of Western Japan.
5. 試合をせいでは通されぬ。
One will not be let through without playing a match.
6. そんな寿命を縮めるようなゲームをやらいでもいいよ。
You don’t need to play such a life shortening game like that.
7. そんなことも知らいでよう言うわ。
You sure talk for someone who doesn’t even know that!
8. 何遍も言わいでも聞こえてるよ。
I’m able to hear you without you saying it over and over.
～いでか
Thanks to Kansai Dialects, the pattern ～いでか has been popularized enough to bring the conjunctive particle いで back to life but as a final particle with a rhetorical meaning of “could… not?”
9. 「ほう、わかるか？」「わからいでか！」
“Oh, you understand?” “How would I not understand!”
10. 分からいでか、お前は判り易すぎなんだよ。
How would I know understand, you’re too easy to get.
11. 「やるのか？」「やらいでか！」
“Are you really going to?” “The hell I am!”
12. 死ぬ前に言いたいことを言わいでか。
How would I not say what I want to say before dying?
13. 怒らいでか！
You bet I’m angry! How could I not be?
14. 気付かいでか。
How could I not notice?
15. 「彼が裏切り者だと気が付いたんだい？」「わからいでか！ていうか、隊長ですら知ってて口を噤んでたんだ」
“So you realized that he was a traitor?” “How would I not know!? Or, should I say, even the captain knew but just kept his mouth shut.”
- While identical to the で found in ～ないで, and despite the similar function it serves, the two で emerged separately. ↩︎