ま or な?

[Murius]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently reading the 6th volume of ranma 1/2 and this is the first time I encounter this expression (page 25): やむをえまい。I use zkanji and the result is "can't be helped / unavoidable" which totally fits the context (you've lost, you have to do this). Only zkanji has やむをえない。

So I wonder whether that is a typo in the manga, zkanji, both are correct alternatives or whatever? Also the character who says this is an old (maybe even ancient) Chinese lady so it may be a way to give her a foreign flavor?

Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this.

[Murius]

Here's a second one I haven't found anywhere:

-yuubin des-su.
Mail delivery.

-hatashijou...?
a letter of challenge...?

nanda, ryouga no yatsu ka.
what is that ryouga up to now?

-ore wa ima yamagomori no tokkun wo shiteiru.
Right now I have retired to the mountains for special training.

ashita tendou doujou ni ikukarana.
Tomorrow I'll come to Tendou Dôjô.

首を洗って持っている
kubi o aratte matteiru

Now what does this mean? Is it the same as "I'm gonna kick your *beep*"? I'm sure no neck washing is intended!

[thegooseking]

Murius-さん、

To answer your first post, えない and えまい are both conjugations of える, which means 'to get'. えない is the plain negative "don't get", while えまい is the negative volitional. It's sort of the negative of えよう, but whereas えよう means "let's get", えまい doesn't precisely mean "let's not get" - it has a far stronger tone than that, more like a statement of being determined not to get.

So while やむをえない means something is 'unavoidable' and has to be done, やむをえまい is an expression of determination to do it.

As for the second post, you're on the right track. "Wash your neck" pretty much means "prepare to die", because washing one's neck was a traditional preparation for being executed by decapitation.

小狼

[Murius]

Thanks again. I wish I had more problems right now, your explanations are crystal clear!

[community.japanese]

小狼さん、
今日は。
Thank you for helping Murius san.

Murius san,
Konnichiwa.
You wrote 首を洗って持っている, kubi o aratte matteiru.
However, it may be a typo.
That should be 首を洗って持っていろ.
いる and　いろ are very different.
いる indicates current situation. On the other hand いろ indicates ‘command.’
首を洗って持っていろ literally means ‘wait for me after washing your neck (because I will cut your neck).’
Actual meaning is ‘I will kill you tomorrow.’
When samurais fought with swards, they cut their opponent’s necks.

Yuki 由紀
Team JapanesePod101.com