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乞うご期待 is a set expression that means "Don't miss it!"

What's up with the weird word order? If I interpret this to really mean
ご期待を乞う, then I can't think of any other circumstance in Japanese where the
object of a main verb can _follow_ the verb.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-01T13:49:20.190
72213
2019-10-02T10:06:31.150
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question
expressions
What's up with the weird word order in 乞うご期待?
I think the headline is used
[「倒置法」](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%80%92%E7%BD%AE) and
[「体言止め」](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BF%AE%E8%BE%9E%E6%8A%80%E6%B3%95#%E4%BD%93%E8%A8%80%E6%AD%A2%E3%82%81)・[「喚体句」](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%96%9A%E4%BD%93%E5%8F%A5)
i.e.「ご期待を乞う」→ 「乞うご期待」.

The author using the figure of speech to emphasize the author's "wish": 「乞う」
and the reverberation of 「体言止め」 is actually sustaining "anticipation" : 「御期待」.

「乞うご期待」seems to have started to be expressed as 「乞御期待」 in the advertisement of
the movie currently showing at the theater.

「乞うご期待」: _I very wish you guys really look forward to for the next time_

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/HdW0Z.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/HdW0Z.png)
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-01T23:10:16.143
72225
2019-10-01T23:10:16.143
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answer
From today's perspective, it might as well be called a sample of anastrophe.
However, not many words other than 乞う use this type of formula.

Etymologically, it comes from a specific practice in the
[漢文訓読](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanbun) tradition. There is a Chinese
verb 請 "treat" that is also used as if English "please". This "interjectory" 請
is often read out at the original place instead of brought after the object.

> 請息交以絕游  
>  請【こ】う 交【まじ】わりを息【や】めて
> 以【もっ】て游【ゆう】を絶【た】たん（[帰去来辞](https://kanbun.info/syubu/kikyorainoji.html)）
>
> 請君爲我傾耳聽  
>  請【こ】う君【きみ】
> 我【わ】が為【ため】に耳【みみ】を傾【かたむ】けて聴【き】け（[将進酒](http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/%7Eshici/rs61.htm)）

The 乞う～ expression is the remnant of this construction, normally with
homonymous 乞 instead of correct 請.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-02T09:38:03.030
72230
2019-10-02T10:06:31.150
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
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