である in the middle of sentence?

Japanese
#1

image
Second line from the right, 東洋の薬である可能性が強い
Of course bunpro has the である that means です, but it mentions nothing of である being used in the middle of a sentence and I can’t find anything on this elsewhere. It seems that it means 東洋の薬の可能性, can である just replace any の?

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#2

Hey @toejam
This is a great question and you have actually answered yourself.
Unlike だ, である can be used to modify nouns (prenominal use). So it can basically work like の when follows a noun modifying noun or like な when it follows a なadjective modifying noun.
Compared to those two, it feels more formal.

Example:
猫より子猫のほうがかわいい
猫であるより子猫であるほうがかわいい (notice that it possible to add である in places where の or な are not usually added, like より)
Kittens are cuter than cats.

Cheers!

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#3

Thank you! Is that to say that である can replace any の when it follows a noun modifying noun? Like in this example, can you say 東洋である薬である可能性? Or 東洋である薬の可能性?

#4

I feel that it’s best as 東洋の薬である可能性が強い where である is last in the ‘chain’ and is not repeated.

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#5

Then, in a chain of these noun modifying の’s, can you always replace the final with である? E.g., 竜王の剣である力が凄まじい

#6

@toejam
東洋の薬である可能性が強い
Strong possibility that it is an oriental medicine.

By the way, after some internal discussion, this might be also particle で + ある, which would mean
東洋の薬で (with oriental drug/medicine) ある (certain) 可能性が強い (possibility is high)

Cheers

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