ででもある instead of でもある？
Hello!
I just encountered the following sentence in a text I was reading.
その思い出が不愉快ででもあるかように、彼は口早にそう言った。
I get that the meaning is something along the lines of "He said it quickly, as if this memory made him feel uneasy", but I'm confused by the 不愉快ででもある

I know that でもある is sometimes used when も alone cannot be used grammatically (例えば、「彼は日本人です。アメリカ人でもあります。」), but the additional で is really confusing to me. Can anyone explain why it is there?

Thank you so much!

Question

ででもある instead of でもある？
Hello!
I just encountered the following sentence in a text I was reading.
その思い出が不愉快ででもあるかように、彼は口早にそう言った。
I get that the meaning is something along the lines of "He said it quickly, as if this memory made him feel uneasy", but I'm confused by the 不愉快ででもある

I know that でもある is sometimes used when も alone cannot be used grammatically (例えば、「彼は日本人です。アメリカ人でもあります。」), but the additional で is really confusing to me. Can anyone explain why it is there?

Thank you so much!

Answer

不愉快である →　不愉快で・ある　→ (insert でも ) →　（その思い出が）不愉快で・でも・あるように

アメリカ人で・ある　→　（まるで自分が）アメリカ人で・でも・あるかのように
(※ アメリカ人で・ある　→　アメリカ人で・も・ある）

東京に・行く　→　まるで東京に・でも・行くかのように

OK:　彼は日本人です。なのに自分がアメリカ人ででもあるかのようにふるまっています。

NG?:　彼は日本人です。なのに自分がアメリカ人でもあるかのようにふるまっています。
             (making sense, no one would misunderstand you, but after all, it is ungrammatical)

※ I guess でも here functions as a kind of emphasis.

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