59551
Etymologically, why does 見合せ ("exchanging a look") mean "interruption,
postponement"?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-18T00:17:58.107
59534
2018-06-18T14:45:51.343
816
question
etymology
Why does 見合せ mean a service interruption?
No source I consulted tries to explain _why_ it can have that nuance. One of
the other meanings is "to exchange troubled looks; to face each other due to
shared fear or surprise" ( _Nihon Hōgen Daijiten_ ; _WordNet Ruigo_ ). So one
possible derivation could be: a situation that's surprising or threatening, so
that it makes people exchange glances > (semantic narrowing) > a situation
that requires postponement and consideration.

* * *

However, I don't think it's the most probable one. The _Nihon Kokugo Daijiten_
explains _miawase_ like this:

> To suspend the execution [of something], and look at [=consider, evaluate]
> the situation for a while (しばらく様子を見ること) (first attested 1702).

Also for the verb form, _mi-awaseru_ :

> To suspend for a while the execution of an action that was about to be
> performed, and watch over/watch attentively the situation for a while
> (しばらく様子を見守る) (first attested 1688).

So the implication seems to be that the situation is the thing being watched.
The agent isn't looking at other participants, he or she is looking at the
matter that was postponed, and carefully considering it. But then why the
auxiliary verb _-awaseru_?

Another sense of _mi-awase_ can shed light on this question:

> To examine this and that by comparing one to another. To examine in contrast
> (見比べる). To juxtapose for clarification (照合する).

Similarly for the verb form:

> To compare the matter at hand with another thing so as to inspect (=look at)
> them [in contrast to one another].

So you see, it's not _-awase_ in the sense of doing something reciprocally
with another agent. In this case it's not actually "to exchange a look". It's
_-awase_ in the sense of putting objects together for some purpose; like
_tsuke-awase_ = garnish (e.g. steak with leaf greens), or _kō-awase_ =
incense-matching (game where the players compare incenses and try to identify
each one), or _kotae-awase_ = checking answers (for your homework, etc).

I believe that, given the _Kokugo Daijiten_ glosses, the "compare and
contrast" nuance is the likely source of the "postpone" nuance. That is, _mi-
awase_ = to compare things in order to weight matters carefully > (semantic
shift) > to stop and take the time to analyse.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-18T12:58:27.260
59551
2018-06-18T14:45:51.343
2018-06-18T14:45:51.343
622
622
59534
answer