Changes in imperative expressions: A comparison of dialectal variations

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K13467
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Japanese linguistics
• Research Institution: Kansai University
• Principal Investigator: MORI Yuta 関西大学, 文学部, 准教授 (90709073)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 行為指示表現 / 連用形命令 / 命令形式 / 敬語 / 待遇表現 / 歴史社会言語学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to examine how dialectal variations of honorific expressions developed over time and how societal changes affected changes in honorific expressions. I studied the system of imperatives in Western Japanese dialects, such as Kansai, Kochi, Hiroshima-Aki, Hiroshima-Bingo, and Yamaguchi. Each system of imperatives in these dialects is different. These variations developed due to differences in accents and changes in honorific forms, which are the sources of new imperatives. Furthermore, I studied the regional variations in the usage of imperative expressions and honorifics in four cities during the late Edo period: Kyo (Kyoto), Osaka, Owari (Nagoya), and Edo (Tokyo). In Kyo and Osaka, prostitutes in sharebon used imperative expressions with honorifics (and with non-honorifics to some degree), while in Edo, expressions with honorifics were used almost exclusively, with rare use of non-honorifics. The use of imperative expressions in Owari was similar to that in Edo.

Free Research Field

日本語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究によって，コミュニケーションにかかわる言語変化がどのように起こるか，ということの一端が示されたと考える。
近世後期における行為指示表現の調査から，話し手と聞き手との関係によって敬語を固定的に運用する江戸と，発話意図や談話の構造によって敬語を流動的に使用する上方という対比が明らかになったが，これは現代につながる地域差である。尾張は地方都市が標準的変種の影響を受けたときの運用変化の一つの事例を示している。連用形命令の地域差からは，各地の方言が，新しい形式を取り入れるときに，当地の言語の構造や語彙的資源に従って形を変える様相が確認でき，このことによって地域差が形成されると考えられる。