A Study of Stylistic Layer of Lexicon in Heian Period Japanese Based on Compilation of Parallel Corpus of Konjaku Monogatarishu

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K02578
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese linguistics
• Research Institution: Meiji University
• Principal Investigator: TANAKA Makiro 明治大学, 国際日本学部, 専任教授 (90217076)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 鴻野 知暁 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 助教 (30751515) ; 田中 草大 東京大学, 大学院人文社会系研究科(文学部), 助教 (20778758)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 日本語史 / 語彙 / 文体 / コーパス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to describe the stylistic layer of lexicon in Heian period Japanese, and prove that the layer is based on semantic structure.
We first tokenized tales sharing the same origin within Konjaku Monogatarishu and Wabun materials, and Konjaku Monogatarishu and Kanbun materials, from which we then compiled a parallel corpora. After extracting words having a high ratio of corresponding word types in the parallel corpora, we were able to classify into three stylistic layer. Moreover,we were able to confirm five levels stylistic layers of lexicon in Heian period Japanese, by investigating Corpus of Historical Japanese. Through analyzing the meaning and usage of the word pairs, we clarified that they show semantic distinguish between the words in each layers.
From these facts, it was possible to think that the stylistic layered structure is based on a semantic structure.

Free Research Field

日本語学