Research of "Kasane-kotoba " (repeated words with similar sounds) in Japanese Dialect

2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21520472
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese linguistics
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: UENO Satoko 高知大学, 人文社会・教育科学系, 教授 (20127616)
• Project Period (FY): 2009-04-01 – 2014-03-31
• Keywords: 重ねことば / 日本語方言 / 地域性 / 異形反復形式 / オノマトペ / 副詞

Research Abstract

In Japanese dialects,numerous onomatopoetic words can be found with great variation in different parts of Japan.This research focused particularly on certain types of onomatopoetic words such as "Pecha - Kucha".They are formed by not just simply repeating the same word twice, but rather by two words with very similar yet slightly different sounds (Ikei-hanpuku onomatopoeia). Research on reference books and articles in 46 prefectures excluding Hokkaido has been conducted and the followings were observed:1.Tohoku, Hokuriku,and Kyusyu regions are a rich source for "Ikei-hanpuku onomatopoeia" with respect to its quantity and quality.2."Ikei-hanpuku onomatopoeia" is dominantly found in words describing human behavior,speech,and personality.3.Many "Ikei-hanpuku onomatopoeia" have a long history of usage that dates back to at least the Edo-period.
Future studies may shed light on when and how these "Ikei-hanpuku onomatopoeia" started to develop.