Announcements

1. Announcements • On the class web site • revised schedule of lectures • revised schedule of quizzes • clicker usage data (through 5-10). Please check and report to me any corrections that need to be made.

2. Reminders • Open • mid-quarter survey about the class (closes Fri May 19, 5 pm) • sociolinguistics quiz (closes Wed May 17, noon) • Sociolinguistics homework to be posted after class • will be due next Thurs in section

3. Japanese Socio-Semantics LING 200 Spring 2006 Prof. Toshiyuki Ogihara

4. Topics to be covered today • Male vs. female language • Honorifics and politeness indicators • (Non-)use of pronouns using names (plus suffixes) using “definite NP” (plus suffixes) their connotations • Kinship terms and how to use them

5. Which group of English words does not consist of pronouns? • him, them • have, do • I, you • himself, themselves

6. Which is NOT an example of a (proper) name? • George Bush • Tokyo • John’s house • Sherlock Holmes

7. Male vs. Female Language Males and females speak in different ways in Japanese. This is deemphasized recently, but the difference is still there. 1st person pronouns: ore, boku (male) atashi (female) Sentence-ending particles: -ze (male) -wa (female) -naa (neutral) Kirei-na kesiki-da ze. ‘It is a nice view.’ pretty scenery-be ending (male) Kirei-na kesiki-da wa. ‘It is a nice view.’ pretty scenery-be ending (female)

8. blowfish

9. Honorifics and Humble Forms • Japanese distinguishes between honorific forms of verbs and humble forms of verbs in some cases. • Honorifics (raise the status of the subject) • Humble Forms (lower the status of the subject) Fugu-o mesiagat-ta. ‘(honorable person) ate.’ blowfish-ACC eat (honorific)-PAST Fugu-o itadai-ta. ‘(humble person) ate.’ blowfish-ACC eat (humble)-PAST Fugu-o tabe-ta. ‘(no honorific) ate.’ blowfish-ACC eat-PAST

10. Honorifics and Humble Forms In most cases, we only have one verb for each action/state type. • yomu ‘read’ • o-yomi-ni naru ‘read’ (honorific) • yom-are-ru ‘read’ (honorific) • Sensei-wa ano-hon-o yom-are-masi-ta ka? teacher-TOP that-book-ACC read-HON-POLITE-PAST Q ‘Did you read that book, teacher?’ We also have “polite forms”: • Watasi-wa sono hon-o yomi-masi-ta. I-TOP that book-ACC read-polite-PAST ‘I read that book.’

11. How not to use pronouns in JP Jp has many 1st and 2nd person pronouns, but when they are used (esp. 2nd person pronouns), you have to be very careful. You usually avoid using them. 1st: (w)ata(ku)shi, boku, ore, oira (male only) 2nd: an(a)ta ‘that place’, omae ‘in front of’ (+honorific), kimi ‘lord’, kisama (see below) Note: kisama ‘honorable person’ can only be used when you are ready to fight. Then what is used to refer to addressees?

12. Easiest Solution • Just avoid pronouns! Waitress: Nani-ni nasaimasu-ka? what-DAT do(honorific)-Q ‘What would (you) like?’ Customer: Kake soba-ne. buckwheat noodle-ending ‘Buckwheat noodle soup, please’

13. How not to use pronouns in JP 3rd: kare ‘he’, kanozyo ‘she’, ano-hito ‘that person’, ano-ko ‘that child’ ‘that girl’ kare ‘he’ and kanozyo ‘she’ were introduced only recently and still sound unnatural in some contexts. Instead of pronouns, “empty pronouns” or names are used in most cases. A: Kinoo Zyon-ni at-ta yo. ‘I met John yesterday.’ yesterday John-DAT meet-PAST ending B: don-na hito? ‘What is he like?’ what-type-of person

14. Names used for Addressees Names (plus some ending) are used more often in Japanese sentences than in English sentences. You can even use names in place of 2nd person pronouns. (In fact, using names is usually more appropriate/polite.) This is not possible in English. Mary is talking to Mr. Jones. Mary: Jones-san wa nani-o bennkyo-si te imasu ka? Jones-HONTOP what-ACC study-PROG-PRES-Q ‘What do you major in?’ Literally: ‘What does Mr. Jones major in?’

15. Suffixes used with Nouns We use suffixes such as -sama (very polite), -san (polite), -kun (used to refer to someone not older than the speaker), -tyan (diminutive), -dono (only in written discourse; obsolete in modern colloquial Japanese), -sensei ‘professor’ (for professors, physicians, artists, politicians, etc.). They indicate the status of the addressee and various relationships between the speaker and the addressee.

17. Language as a Loaded Weapon It is true that one must be very careful when addressing others in Japanese. The general rule is roughly this: Use -san or better (e.g. sensei ‘professor’) when talking to someone older or someone higher in social status Use of -kun must be avoided when talking to someone older or someone higher in social status. Use of “bare last name” is ok only with same-age peers. POSSIBLE SCENARIO: The victim was the assailant’s superior and talked like a superior (possibly with -kun or with “bare last name”). The assailant did not like that since they are of the same age.

18. “Definite NPs” for Addressees We can use “definite NPs” as well as names (normally w/ one of the above suffixes) in place of second person pronouns. E.g. ‘customer’, ‘president’, ‘chief’, ‘professor’ John is talking to a (prospective) customer. John: Okyaku-sama-wa dotira-ga okonomi desuka? customer-SAMA-TOP which-NOM preference be-Q ‘Which would you prefer, sir/ma’am?’ Literally: ‘As for Mr/Ms customer, which is the preference?’

19. Which English kinship term is gender neutral? • grandfather • cousin • daughter • nephew

20. Kinship Terms Insider forms vs. outsider forms In-Group Forms (-san can be replaced by -chan) (o)too-san ‘dad’, (o)kaa-san ‘mom’, (o)nii-san ‘elder brother’, (o)nee-san ‘elder sister’, (o)zii-san ‘grandfather’, (o)zi-san ‘uncle’, etc. Used within the family like pronouns. They can also be address terms. Out-Group Forms titi ‘father’, haha ‘mother’, ani ‘elder brother’, ane ‘elder sister’, otooto ‘younger brother’, imooto ‘younger sister’ Used outside the family circle. They cannot be address terms.

21. Upward vs. Downward Terms Note that only “upward kinship terms” can be used as address terms/quasi-second-person-pronouns. “Downward terms” cannot be. musuko ‘son’, musume ‘daughter’, mago ‘grandchild’, oi ‘male nephew’, mei ‘female nephew’, otooto ‘younger brother’, imooto ‘younger sister’ They can only be descriptive terms. Watasi-wa musuko-to sun-de i-masu. I -TOP son-with live-PROG-polite ‘I live with my son’ * Musuko-wa doo omou? Lit. ‘What does son think?’ son -TOP how think

22. Upward vs. Downward Terms There seem to be some interesting differences between JP and ENG here. Mom/dad can be used like a name/quasi-3rd person pronoun, but not as an address term. John (to his daughter): (ok) Mom said you should work harder. John (to his wife): # Mom, do you have a minute? Son can be used as an address term, but not as a quasi-2nd-person pronoun. John (to his son): (ok) I believe you, son. John (to his son): # What does son think?

23. Kinship Terms used with Strangers Upward kinship terms (but not downward ones) are used as address terms/quasi-pronouns when dealing with strangers (getting obsolete and can be rude, but still used by older people) 15~30ish male: onii-san ‘elder brother’ female: onee-san ‘elder sister’ 30~60ish male: ozi-san ‘uncle’, female oba-san ‘aunt’ 40~70ish male: otoo-san ‘father’, female okaa-san ‘mother’ 65~ male: ozii-san ‘grandfather’, female obaa-san ‘grandmother’