Talk:です

Decontraction
Are all of the theorized decontractions identical in meaning? I know Xです is semantically the same as Xであります in meaning (I put the X there to be the object of the particle で, which is separate from あります, the main verb), as well as Xでございます (ございます is a more formal form of あります), but I don't know if the other decontractions are semantically identical. ThighFish (talk) 21:46, 15 April 2021 (UTC)
 * In brief, no, they're not all identical.
 * is the humble form of, so those differ primarily in terms of social register.  was apparently common historically, but in modern usage, it sounds obsequious or intentionally archaic, so you won't encounter that much anymore, if I've understood things correctly.
 * would basically mean "do by means of [whatever came before]", so this doesn't mean just "is". I've not encountered this derivation theory anywhere else, and a quick look at the entries at Kotobank and Weblio shows no such notes, nor does the JA Wiktionary entry.  I'm inclined to think this one is a mistaken etymology peculiar to the EN Wiktionary, which we should either explicitly source, or remove.
 * I'm not familiar with the derivation either, and that too is missing from other resources.  At least that is conceptually in the right ballpark, since  was an honorific word for "to be / to go / to come", quite similar to .  You won't encounter this in casual speech, but folks appear to use it when trying to invoke certain social contexts.  I'd confirm with a native speaker before trying to use this yourself.
 * Would you be able to make an entry for おわす? ThighFish (talk) 04:29, 16 April 2021 (UTC)
 * It's on my list! :D  I'm a bit bogged down until, probably, some time next week, but I do plan to work on that.  ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │Tala við mig 05:05, 16 April 2021 (UTC)
 * Lastly, the in  is a Classical Japanese polite word similar to, developing from humble verb saburau, spelled either  or  and cognate with , with a basic meaning of "to serve someone, to be in service to someone".  As usage shifted to more of an auxiliary verb "to be" sense, it was for a while used in a way roughly equivalent to the modern polite verb ending , such as this example from the  (mid 1300s or so):




 * This conceptually matches the basic function and politeness level of modern, and there are ample historical textual examples of and its later contraction.
 * Ultimately, modern plain-form and polite-form  are somewhat synthetic inventions of the language-reform and unity-building movements active during the, and as such,  is probably influenced by all of the above (with the possible exeption of ).
 * HTH, ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │Tala við mig 00:47, 16 April 2021 (UTC)