にで and でに confusion


So I saw these particles in a definition and a song.

First, as ひとりでに, which got translated as by itself (this got approved by the
way) and then "単独にでなく", which I'm guessing means not being done in/by
independence/singleness (I don't know the word 単独 by the way I searched up
it's Japanese and English definition). What do these words mean?




ひとりでに is a lexicalized adverb which has its own entry in dictionaries:

  * jisho.org: <https://jisho.org/word/%E7%8B%AC%E3%82%8A%E3%81%A7%E3%81%AB>
  * デジタル大辞泉: <https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E3%81%B2%E3%81%A8%E3%82%8A%E3%81%A7%E3%81%AB/>

You'll basically have to remember ひとりでに as a non-divisible fixed expression,
and go on. The same is true with some fixed rentaishi such as 大きな; you have to
remember this because it doesn't follow the basic conjugation pattern of
i-adjectives.

単独にでなく is made of three words, and can be straightforwardly analyzed by the
standard grammar:

  * **単独に** : individually; in isolation; separately
  * **で** : (continuative form of the copula だ)
  * **なく** : not

So it just means "not individually", "not in an isolated manner", etc.




ひとりでに is a lexicalized adverb which has its own entry in dictionaries:

  * jisho.org: <https://jisho.org/word/%E7%8B%AC%E3%82%8A%E3%81%A7%E3%81%AB>
  * デジタル大辞泉: <https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E3%81%B2%E3%81%A8%E3%82%8A%E3%81%A7%E3%81%AB/>

You'll basically have to remember ひとりでに as a non-divisible fixed expression,
and go on. The same is true with some fixed rentaishi such as 大きな; you have to
remember this because it doesn't follow the basic conjugation pattern of
i-adjectives.

単独にでなく is made of three words, and can be straightforwardly analyzed by the
standard grammar:

  * **単独に** : individually; in isolation; separately
  * **で** : (continuative form of the copula だ)
  * **なく** : not

So it just means "not individually", "not in an isolated manner", etc.

