に particle and passive form.... multiple meanings?


There's a sentence in my textbook.

子供の時から今までを振り返って男あるいは女に生まれて、Ａよかったと思った／思うこと、Ｂ嫌いだと思った／思うこと、を三つずつ書いてください

男あるいは女に生まれて、 This is the part in particular I don't understand... I read it
as... "Born by a man, or possibly a woman..." Why would it say that? Is it
supposed to be read "Born AS a man or possibly a woman?"

Don't tell me that 女に生まれる has two meanings!!! It means born by right? に is
supposed to be actor of the passive action right? Like 巨人に食べられた。... Or am I
somehow wrong.




Xに生まれる is syntactically ambiguous between:

  1. Born as a X

    * 女に生まれる (be born as a woman)
  2. Born to a X

    * 裕福な家庭に生まれる (be born to a wealthy family) 
    * 女に生まれる (be born to a woman)

For (1), think of adverb+verb. (E.g. Run quickly) ( ✕ Born woman-ly → ◯ born
as a woman)

And for (2) think of a intransitive verb acting with a indirect object (e.g.
Bob lied(verb) to Mary(indirect object))




Xに生まれる is syntactically ambiguous between:

  1. Born as a X

    * 女に生まれる (be born as a woman)
  2. Born to a X

    * 裕福な家庭に生まれる (be born to a wealthy family) 
    * 女に生まれる (be born to a woman)

For (1), think of adverb+verb. (E.g. Run quickly) ( ✕ Born woman-ly → ◯ born
as a woman)

And for (2) think of a intransitive verb acting with a indirect object (e.g.
Bob lied(verb) to Mary(indirect object))

