Page 459 - Makino,Tsutusi.DictionaryOfIntermediateJGrammar

semete l shidai 385
well aware that he cannot realize an ideal state. Each sentence ends in a
direct or indirect expression of desire, such as -tai as in KS(A), (C), Exs.(c)
and (h), (to io n desu ga as in KS(B) and Ex.(a), noni as in Exs.(e) and (f),
-(sase) te kudasai as in Exs.(b) and (g) and -yd to omotte imasu in Ex.(d). Of
these, noni of Ex.(e) and (f) express counter-factual desire.

[Related Expression]
Sukunakutomo is another adverb with the meaning of 'at least.' The crucial
difference between sukunakutomo and semete is that the former focuses on
rather objective lower limits of number 1 quantity; whereas the latter on the
speaker's strong desire to realize a certain minimum level of satisfaction. So
all the KS and Exs. of semete can be rephrased by sukunakutomo, but the
following use of sukunakutomo cannot be rephrased by semete, because it
does not express the speaker's desire; it merely expresses the speaker's esti-
mation of numbers / quantity.
i%ld'< *<.ttk.t '
[l] a. z DkWl~&&i& {$a < 2 -6 /*%@TI 5$7?6 5
(I guess that enrollment at this university is at least 30,000.)
PLV?< 3LtL
b. ZO~G& {$a< 2-6 /*+!@TI 3EZiFJbWaE6i.
(This car will cost at least 3,000,000 yen.)

(This semester I'm supposed to have memorized at least 1,000
kanji.)

shidai R$!! conj./n.

as soon as; depend on
that an action indicated by a pre- [REL. ni yoru; -tam sugu]
ceding verb or an action implied
by a preceding noun is a prerequi-
site for another action