2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Study of Japanese diminutives
Project/Area Number |
24720212
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
Research Field |
Japanese linguistics
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Research Institution | Otemon Gakuin University |
Principal Investigator |
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Project Period (FY) |
2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
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Keywords | 指小辞 / コ / グワー / 東北方言 / 富山県砺波方言 / 愛媛県西条方言 / 沖縄県首里方言 |
Outline of Final Research Achievements |
This study is a description of a Japanese diminutive. I will not only discuss and report on the diminutive "-ko(-コ)" of the Tohoku(東北) dialect, Tonami(砺波)dialect of Toyama and Saijo(西条)dialect of Ehime, but also "-guwaa(-グヮー)" of theShuri(首里)dialect of Okinawa. These diminutives are endangered words in Japan. Therefore, the description I provide in this study is a valuable record about a lost Japanese diminutive. In conclusion, the Japanese diminutive "-ko(-コ)" underwentsemantic changes and morphological changes from child(子). In addition, the pattern of semantic changes of the diminutive "-ko(-コ)" accords with the pattern of semantic changes of diminutives in foreign languages in general. However, in the case of Japanese, there are differences in semantic development between eastern and western regional dialects.
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Free Research Field |
日本語学
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