Friday, 15 January 2016

grammar - What does こと mean in 彼らは騒々しいことおびただしい?


Example sentence from プログレッシブ和英中辞典:



彼{かれ}らは騒々{そうぞう}しいことおびただしい They are making a terrible noise [racket].




I don't know if that's 事 or 言, or 殊 (or something else?) so no idea where to even start looking...



Answer




「[連体形]{れんたいけい} of Verb or Adjective + こと + adjective expressing an extreme degree」



is a fairly common set phrase used to describe an unusually large number or high frequency. It is used most often when the speaker has a negative opinion of the fact being described.


「連体形」 means the attributive form. 「こと」 nominalizes the preceding verb or adjective and, at the same time, emphasizes its meaning.


こと = 事, but hiragana is preferred for this usage these days.


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