Question about using the past form verb 「まった」 in this sentence


It is a situation that a boxing fight will begin very soon. Suddenly, a
trainer of a boxer thought that his man could be knocked out very easily. He
then said the following sentence. Anyway, the trainer is a middle aged man.

> まってくれっ ゴングをならすのは **まったあっ**

I would like to know why the past form is used even though the gong has not
yet been rung.




The past tense form 待っ **た** (ie, the auxiliary た in 待った) in your example
indicates **urgent request/command** (要求・命令). 明鏡国語辞典 states:

> た 〘助動詞〙  
>  ➍ 《終止形で》差し迫った要求・命令を表す。「さあ、帰っ **た** 、帰っ **た** 。」「おっと待っ **た** 」

So your sentence 「ゴングをならすのはまったあっ」 practically means the same thing as
「ゴングを鳴らすのは待て」 or 「ゴングを鳴らすのは待ってくれ」.

For more detail on this usage of た, please refer to these threads:  
[Difference between ちょっと待って and
ちょっと待った](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/13428/9831)  
[Usage of doubled non-past tense
"た"](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/5356/9831)




The past tense form 待っ **た** (ie, the auxiliary た in 待った) in your example
indicates **urgent request/command** (要求・命令). 明鏡国語辞典 states:

> た 〘助動詞〙  
>  ➍ 《終止形で》差し迫った要求・命令を表す。「さあ、帰っ **た** 、帰っ **た** 。」「おっと待っ **た** 」

So your sentence 「ゴングをならすのはまったあっ」 practically means the same thing as
「ゴングを鳴らすのは待て」 or 「ゴングを鳴らすのは待ってくれ」.

For more detail on this usage of た, please refer to these threads:  
[Difference between ちょっと待って and
ちょっと待った](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/13428/9831)  
[Usage of doubled non-past tense
"た"](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/5356/9831)

