A Basic Study of the Mixed Writing Style of Kanji and Katakana in the Middle Ages

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K00653
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02070:Japanese linguistics-related
• Research Institution: Hiroshima Bunkyo University
• Principal Investigator: HASHIMURA Katsuaki 広島文教大学, 教育学部, 教授 (30330674)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 磯貝 淳一 新潟大学, 人文社会科学系, 教授 (40390257)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 表記体混淆文 / 変体漢文 / 漢字片仮名交じり文

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, documents dating back to the medieval period that employ a combination of kanji, mixed kanji, and katakana within a single text are examined. This style of writing, commonly referred to as 'mixed-script writing,' holds significant importance for research. The foundation for this research is established through the creation and online publication of data extracted from the 'Shotokutaishiden Hobutsusyu,' housed in the National Archives of Japan. The author's analysis confirms that the use of kanji during the medieval period exhibits characteristic features, showing no qualitative difference between kanji-only and kanji-katakana mixed texts. Additionally, it finds that katakana usage, in terms of character size, is consistent with that of kanji-katakana mixed texts from the Insei (late Heian) and Kamakura periods, and is unaffected by the mixing of writing styles.

Free Research Field

日本語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、漢字表記文と漢字片仮名交じり表記文とが一資料内に共存している資料について、それぞれの日本語学的特質及び相互の表記体が文体に与える影響について明らかにしようとしたものである。これまでは一資料内に表記体の異なる文が存在している場合、漢字表記文あるいは漢字片仮名交じり表記文として扱うか、あるいは表記上、文体上の特質を論じるには扱いにくいものとされてきた。本研究ではこのような表記体が混淆する資料の特質を明らかにすることによって、日本語史の資料として適切な取扱が可能となると考える。