2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Towards understanding dynamics of language change in Ainu
| Project/Area Number |
17K02743
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Linguistics
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| Research Institution | Tokyo University of Science |
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Principal Investigator |
Bugaeva Anna 東京理科大学, 教養教育研究院神楽坂キャンパス教養部, 准教授 (40550075)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
佐藤 知己 北海道大学, 文学研究院, 教授 (40231344)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | Ainu dialects / old records / Kuril Ainu / Nivkh / language change / language contact / linguistic typology / Northeast Asia |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The project involved deciphering and publishing old Kuril Ainu documents obtained from archives in St. Petersburg, Russia, which provided new insights into the Ainu language. The project also analyzed the interactions between Ainu, Nivkh, and Japanese languages, highlighting their linguistic influences. Furthermore, a newly discovered glossary recorded by Captain V. M. Golovnin (1811) offered valuable information about both Northern and Southern Kuril Ainu. The research confirmed that Ainu and Nivkh, as head-marking languages, are distinct from other Northeastern languages. Fieldwork was conducted on the Amur dialect of Nivkh, and the findings were published. The study also adopted a typological approach to Ainu and Nivkh, improving their classification in relation to other languages in Northeast Asia and beyond. The project revealed significant linguistic features and connections among these languages, enriching our understanding of their typological characteristics.
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| Free Research Field |
Linguistics
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
By examining natural historical changes using old records of under-described Ainu dialects such as Kuril and analyzing changes influenced by contact with Nivkh and Japanese, the project advanced our knowledge of Ainu’s history and prehistory, and contributed to the understanding of Northeast Asia.
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