I sometimes see と apparently being used as a verb prefix, e.g.:
もう、とぼけないでよ。
Stop joking around.
Can somebody explain what the と does in cases like this?
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1But とぼける is a verb. – oals Aug 03 '16 at 06:31
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1@oals Yes, and と is a prefix attached to the base ぼける. – broccoli facemask Aug 03 '16 at 06:48
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An ordinary Japanese learner should probably memorize とぼける and ぼける as two totally different verbs.
- とぼける: to play dumb; to feign ignorance; to play innocent
- ぼける: to play stupid (as a joke); to develop dementia
They seem to be etymologically related, but even native speakers do not regard this と as a prefix.
Etymologically, according to this article and this question, this と seems to be a rare prefix that somehow emphasizes the original verb. Unfortunately I cannot think of another example of と in this sense. But ど/ド is a common prefix used to emphasize the following word.
