| Research Abstract |
This research, entitled "A Study of Word Usage in Medieval Records and Paleography and Its Penetration into Speech Language," deals with the two words of respect, "NASARU and (SA)SERARU." These words, occurring in medieval records (kokiroku) and paleography (komonjo), were traditionally considered as ones used only in written language.
However, my research describes how some words in these medieval records penetration their usage in speech language. Using the examples of 'NASARU and (SA) SERARU', I have examined how they gradually came to be used in speech language. This research consists of three parts.
(1) An examination of examples of the use of 'NASARU' in various kinds of old documents, and its use in the Middle Ages in speech language as a word of respect.
(2) The explanation of the use of 'NASARU' as an auxiliary verb in some fixed phrases in the Heian--Kamakura eras and its more diverse use in the Muromachi era: the earliest examples were traced to 1552 and 1560.
(3) A discussion of the use of '(SA) SERARU' as a respect word and its earliest appearance: this was in 1563 and described the emperor's action.
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