2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Comparative Semantic Studies on Constructions Expressing Causality
| Project/Area Number |
15520274
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Linguistics
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| Research Institution | Osaka Shoin Women's University |
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Principal Investigator |
NAKATA Setsuko (有田 節子) Osaka Shoin Women's University, Department of Japanese Language and Literature, Processor, 学芸学部, 教授 (70263994)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
NAKATA Hitoshi Osaka University of Foreign Studies, Center for Japanese language and Culture, Associate Professor, 日本語・日本文化教育センター, 助教授 (90252741)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2006
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| Keywords | Inference / Logical sentences / Conditionals / Focus on Process / Comparative Semantics / Settledness / Speaker's Knowledge / Sentence Final Particles |
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| Research Abstract |
This research is aimed at investigating similarities and differences in syntactic and semantic properties of constructions which express causality in Japanese and European languages such as English. Specifically, we focused on conditional constructions because they indicate peculiar phenomena which reflect the syntactic structure of each language. Most semantic research on conditionals arises from syntactic properties of European languages where the contrast between realis and irrealis is manifested in the grammar. Because of this, treatment of counterfactual conditionals has been controversial. In Japanese, however, there are no explicit markers of counterfactuality, that is, falsity of conditional and/or consequent propositions.
Throughout our research we have noted significant properties of Japanese conditionals. Two of them are addressed here. First, in Japanese, the fact that the truth value of conditional proposition is determined is grammatically marked. This stands in contrast t
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o English or other European languages in which the proposition is false or highly hypothetical. Second, in Japanese, the fact that speaker does not know the truth value of conditional proposition is grammatically marked. This stands in contrast to English or other European languages in which speaker knows that the proposition is false. We attempted to propose a theoretical framework to account for these semantic properties of Japanese conditionals based on Kratzer style modal semantics. Although there are some issues left unresolved, we believe that we have achieved most of what we had aimed for.
The following is a brief summary of our activities for publication of results.
1. In 2005, we presented the results in international conferences. Specifically, Arita made a presentation at the international symposium 'Language under Uncertainty : Modals, Evidentials, and Conditionals' at Kyoto University. Arita also presented at the international workshop 'Revisiting Japanese Modality' at Department of Japan and Korea at School of Oriental and African Studies of University of London.
2. In 2006, we presented the results in several publications. Specifically, Arita published a paper on comparative studies on Japanese and English conditionals in the framework of modal semantics as a chapter of Jooken Hyogen no Taishoo ("Comparative Studies on Conditional Expressions"), Kuroshio Publishers, 2006. Arita also published a whole book on tense and modality of Japanese conditionals Nihongo Jookenbun to Jiseisetsusei ("Japanese Conditionals and Tensedness") Less
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Research Products
(15 results)
