2012 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
A study of language variation and change in the corpus of Japanese laws and local ordinances
| Project/Area Number |
22520480
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Japanese linguistics
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| Research Institution | Kobe Shoin Women's University |
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Principal Investigator |
MATSUDA Kenjiro 神戸松蔭女子学院大学, 文学部英語学科, 教授 (40263636)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2010 – 2012
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| Keywords | 法令 / コーパス / 動詞活用 / バリエーション / 言語変化 |
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| Research Abstract |
Unlike preceding inquiries into the relationship between language and law, we used the text of Japanese law as language data or corpus, and analyzed the linguistic variation and change exhibited to explore the possibilities and limitations of law as language data. We analyzed alternations in the verbal conjugation of sahen verbs, a phenomenon which has already drawn a number of preceding studies. Some sahen verbs show alternation between sahen- and godan-type conjugation (e.g., zokus-inai/zokus-anai `do not belong'), while others show alternation between sahen- and kamiichidan-type conjugation (e.g., ronz-uru/ronz-iru `to discuss'). An analysis of 14 high-frequency verbs showed that, not only does the variation exist among different laws, it also exists between laws promulgated in the same year and even within the very same law. As such, the result most elegantly demonstrates that the variation is well below the consciousness of the lawmakers and bureaucrats (i.e., change from be low). Using a law database that traces revision histories, we also demonstrated that some of the sahen verbs show a clear change over the past 10 years. As for internal factors controlling the variation, it was found that at least the alternation between sahen and godan-type conjugation is constrained nicely in the same way as has been reported in the previous studies.
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Research Products
(7 results)
