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.

Đừng bỏ lỡ cơ hội học ngoại ngữ ngay tại nhà. Hãy xem danh sách các gia sư ngôn ngữ giàu kinh nghiệm của chúng tôi và đăng ký buổi học đầu tiên ngay hôm nay!