Monday 14 March 2016

grammar - What does 逃げっこなしにしよう mean?


So, I was reading a children's story and came across this sentence:



「いいか、この最後{さいご}のローソクが消{き}えたら、本当{ほんとう}のお化{ば}けが出{で}るかもしれん。だが、どんなお化けが出ようと、お互{たが}いに逃{に}げっこなしにしよう」




What I'm having trouble understanding and dictionaries haven't been able to help is decoding the 逃げっこなしにしよう part. What exactly is happening there?


If more context is needed, the full text can be seen here (it's only about one page long, very short): http://hukumusume.com/douwa/pc/100monogatari/001.htm



Answer



っこ is a suffix that attaches to verbs (in 連用形). It means の事 or する事. It is most commonly found in the form of っこない which expresses a strong denial as in 絶対…しない or …するはずがない. This may also be っこなし. It typically indicates multiple people are involved in the activity. Here it means "there will be no running away". The next line continues with: 「いいとも。どんなお化けが出るか、この目で、しっかり見てやろう」 (Fine. I'll [stay] and see what kind of monster appears.)


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