32488
I've been learning adjective conjugations and I've understood that to
conjugate an adjective into its negative form you drop the last syllable (～い
syllable) and add くない. However, I've run into the word すくない which has left me
puzzled. It seems to be the negative conjugation of a word but I don't see
which one.
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2016-02-26T06:46:30.420
32481
2016-02-26T16:42:41.810
2016-02-26T07:38:47.353
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question
adjectives i-adjectives
What is the dictionary form of sukunai?
The misunderstanding here is that this isn't the negative conjugation of the
word 少｛すく｝ない. This is the dictionary form. The negative conjugation of 少｛すく｝ない
is 少｛すく｝なくない.
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2016-02-26T06:46:30.420
32482
2016-02-26T07:39:03.810
2016-02-26T07:39:03.810
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answer
[As answered](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/32482/11830), 少ない is not a
negative form of an adjective, but rather already the dictionary form.

It is only coincidentally pronounced the same way as the negative form of
other い-adjectives.

It might be interesting to know that [the dictionary entry of
すくない](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/117871/meaning/m0u/) also shows
alternative kanji (including archaic versions), where the only kana visible
after the kanji is い. So it appears the stem of the adjective stops at すくな.

> すくな・い【少ない／×尠い／▽寡い】

Further, some dictionaries even [list it as
少い](http://ejje.weblio.jp/content/%E5%B0%91%E3%81%84), albeit as an
alternative form of 少ない.

So it appears the word originally, or principally, came in the form 少い, but
because of the ease of misuse/confusion, adopted the more verbose version 少ない
as the dictionary form.

See [the wikipedia entry on
送りがな:](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%80%81%E3%82%8A%E3%81%8C%E3%81%AA)

> 少ない - 原則通りであれば「少い」となるが、この送りがなで打消表現を書くと「少くない」となって、これが却って「すくない」とも読まれる可能性がある。

Some other adjectives that behave like this, but do not appear to adopt the
same usage are:

  * 幼い
  * 儚い
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2016-02-26T16:42:41.810
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2016-02-26T16:42:41.810
2017-04-13T12:43:44.863
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answer