Page 113 - JAPN2004

5 に-causative and を-causative
The non-subject participant of the causative construction can be marked either by 〜に or
〜を. This is because the power relation between the subject and the non-subject can vary in the causative construction. The non-subject may be a volitional agent as in 1 below. Or
he/she/it may be coerced by the subject of the causative sentence as in 2, or may not have their own intention to carry out the action as in 3.
1. 私は、自分でのぼれると言う子どもたちに先にのぼらせてみた。 I let the children, who said they could climb on their own, climb first.
2. 私は、その子をなかせた。 I made the child cry.
3. 私は忘れていて、さかなをくさらせた。
I had forgotten about it, and let the fish go bad.
In principle, intransitive verbs can appear in both に-causative and を-causative constructions, provided that their undergoers are those who can potentially “feel.” The に- marked non-subject is the volitional one, and the を-marked non-subject is the coerced one.
4. 私は、子どもたちに屋根(やね roof)の上にのぼらせた。 I let the children climb up to the roof.
Lesson 24A-Page 703