I was under the impression that signs requesting that people do things would
be in honorific rather that humble speech, however so far I've noticed the
opposite.

Could anyone please explain why this is?
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2014-01-21T01:32:38.640
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2016-02-11T08:56:03.370
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question
grammar
Why do signs use kenjougo and not sonkeigo?
Will definitely need examples here, but in the mean time this may answer your
question: both `謙譲語`(kenjougo) and `尊敬語`(sonkeigo) can be used to "elevate"
(「立てる」) the interlocutor. The difference is in whether the object of the
"elevation" is the subject of the action described (the "actioner" I'd say -
「行為者」), in which case `尊敬語` is used, or the subject of the action (the
"receiver" - 「向かう先」) in which case it is `謙譲語` to be used.

This is explained in great lengths in
[敬語の指針](http://www.bunka.go.jp/bunkashingikai/soukai/pdf/keigo_tousin.pdf):

>
> これは，先の尊敬語における「立てる」と同じ性質のものである。ただ，尊敬語と謙譲語Ⅰとでは，＜行為者＞などを立てるのか，＜向かう先＞を立てるのかという点で，違いがあるわけである。

But this seems to match your understanding of both forms, so without examples,
can't be really sure about what you mean by "requesting that people do things"
with kenjougo, sorry.
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2014-01-21T03:40:49.357
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2014-02-20T10:44:21.423
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answer