Formulating theory and developing research method to elucidate the origination/propagation/fixation process of dialects comprised of large-scale and wide-ranging data

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H07293
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Japanese linguistics
• Research Institution: Shikoku University
• Principal Investigator: SAKOGUCHI Yukako 四国大学, 地域教育・連携センター, 講師 (10803629)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-08-25 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 『瀬戸内海言語図巻』 / 方言分布 / 経年変化 / 追跡調査 / 空間分析 / GIS / 方言周圏論 / 方言形成論

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I have revealed the real-time situation of language change by investigating the distribution and changes of copula forms of the Seto Inland Dialect, I have made an analysis comparison between the data of [Fujiwara, Yoichi (1974). Hiroshima Institute of Dialectology. The Linguistic Atlas of the Seto Inland Sea. Vol.1 and Vol.2] and that collected through the online correspondence survey. With this analysis, I have confirmed that the data of the young group in ‘The Linguistic Atlas of the Seto Inland Sea’ accords with the data of the elderly in the present survey. It can be said that the change in apparent time was almost the same as the change in real time with regard the copula forms. Furthermore, I have found the change of form from ja to ya with the old age group to be prominent in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea along with the westward movement of the geographical distribution of ya.

Free Research Field

日本語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

GISを用いた言語地理学研究は、まだ緒に就いたばかりであり、方言分布の解析に大きく貢献することは言を俟たない。また、方言研究にGISを導入することにより、多種多様なデータの利用が可能になり、時間軸に関する分析が可能となるにつれ、多くの現象を包括的に考察することができるようになる。真に必要とする情報や知見を、地理情報科学・空間情報科学という他分野と共有し、今後さらなる学問の発展へと推進していきたい。