Structural changes in Japanese involving noun phrases and adverbial phrases with quantity properties

2024 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00638
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02070:Japanese linguistics-related
• Research Institution: Shujitsu University
• Principal Investigator: Iwata Miho 就実大学, 人文科学部, 准教授 (20734073)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2025-03-31
• Keywords: 日本語史 / 文法史 / 副詞句 / 名詞句 / 並列 / 限定

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this research is to demonstrate empirically that changes involving adverbial phrases and noun phrases with quantitative properties constitute one type of structural change in Japanese. As examples of changes from adverbial phrases to noun phrases, we examined the developmental process of parallel forms such as Tari (Mi, Nu, Tsu), Nari, Yara, Toka, and No. These forms originally functioned as suffixes attached to the end of sentences. Subsequently, these forms underwent a stage where they were added to the predicate or noun phrase of the main clause, eventually becoming noun phrases. As examples of changes from noun phrases to adverbial phrases, we examined “kiri” and “kagiri.” We examined how these forms came to be used as temporal adverbs by indicating temporal scope and how they became adverbial phrases. The results have been published in papers and research presentations.

Free Research Field

日本語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本語史研究においては近年構造変化を扱った研究が注目されている。本研究では、並べ立てが行われることで集合を表す並列形式や時間の範囲を表すようになったギリやカギリが、「量的な解釈」を得たことでその性質を変化させ、副詞句から名詞句へ、名詞句から副詞句へと変化したこと実証的に示した。その結果「量的な解釈」が介在する名詞句と副詞句の相互連関があることを明らかにした。この成果は、日本語史における構造変化の一つの類型として位置づけられる点で意義がある。また、「量性」という一つの性質を中心として、両方向への変化が起こる可能性があることを示すことができる点で、重要な事例といえる。