2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Toward the Refinement of Semantic Studies of Compound Nouns and Compound Adjectives

Research Project

Project/Area Number	19520413
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	English linguistics
Research Institution	Ibaraki University
Principal Investigator	NAMIKI Takayasu Ibaraki University, 教育学部, 教授 (90106740)
Project Period (FY)	2007 – 2009
Keywords	語形成 / 派生形態論 / 複合語 / 複合名詞 / 複合形容詞 / 意味 / 意味の稀薄化 / 意味研究の精密化
Research Abstract	In order to refine semantic studies of compound nouns and compound adjectives in Japanese and English, the following have been done. (1) Weakening of semantic elements in compound nouns is shown and a way of the interpretation of such compounds is suggested on the basis of "qualia structure" of Generative Lexicon. (2) Expressions like Roushi-ichiryuu and kabukiyakusha-yoroshiku are investigated in terms of the notion "compound-specific submeaning." (3) As to the expression houdai in tabe-houdai, its use and meaning in contemporary Japanese are discussed and changes of its use and meanings in Japanese since the 15th century are explicated. It is also pointed out that houdai can be regarded as an example of "grammaticalization" involved in Japanese compounds.

(4 results)