A Study on Topicalization: toward the Interface between Generative Grammar and Traditional Japanese Linguistics

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13158
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 02060:Linguistics-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto Notre Dame University (2020-2023); Shinshu University (2019)
• Principal Investigator: TAGUCHI Shigeki 京都ノートルダム女子大学, 国際言語文化学部, 教授 (00528664)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 国語学 / 理論言語学 / はだしの主題

Outline of Final Research Achievements

One of the remarkable contributions of this research is that it has shown commonalities in discourse effects between the matrix bare topic and the embedded accusative subject in Japanese, as well as the similarities in their syntactic/semantic behavior. First, the accusative-marker “o” assigned to the embedded subject has shown to function not only as a case-particle, but also as a discourse-marker. The hypothesis is that the relevant discourse effect is the speaker’s emotion of unexpectedness, which comes from his/her prejudice. Bearing this in mind, the researcher noted that in case “o” is omitted, the unexpectedness in the reason-asking question with “nani-o” are neutralized or loosened. The conclusion is that “ga” and “o” are quite similar with respect to the discourse effects of unexpectedness, but are distinguished in the following two grounds: in the former, the unexpectedness is based on new information, whereas in the latter, it is based on old information.

Free Research Field

理論言語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

実用性よりも規範性を重視する国文法は世間一般で敬遠されがちであるが、本研究を通して、国語学者による着眼と知見の妥当性が立証できた。一見無関係に見える複数の文法現象が、根底に存在する一般的な性質から導き出されることを明らかにした点は、国語学と理論言語学との接点に対する実証的な具現化だと言える。例として、副助詞と格助詞という分類を踏襲しつつも、それらが持つ特性を談話効果や情報構造の観点から見直すことができた。伝統的に高く評価されてきた先行研究を、理論言語学の立場から再検証することの学術的意義はもとより、本研究によって学校における国語教育を再評価する契機となれば、社会的にも意義深いと考えられる。