Japanese
A Linguistic Introduction

A succinct overview of the Japanese language, looking at grammar, vocabulary, meaning and sound structure, as well as sociolinguistics and history.

Yoko Hasegawa (Author)

9781107611474, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 22 December 2014

416 pages, 15 b/w illus. 5 maps 67 tables
22.6 x 15 x 2.8 cm, 0.54 kg

'A comprehensive, up-to-date, and typologically minded survey of Japanese linguistics. Its well-balanced attention to data, theory, usage and grammar fills a gap left by previous textbooks [on] Japanese linguistics.' Mitsuaki Shimojo, University at Buffalo, State University of New York

This comprehensive introduction to the Japanese language consists of six parts. Following the introductory section, it explores the Japanese lexicon, grammatical foundations, major clause types, clause linkage, and language usage. The discussion of formal and structural properties of Japanese such as sound structure, vocabulary and grammar assist readers as they gain insight into historical and sociocultural aspects of Japanese; some are compared with those of English-speaking nations. An ideal choice for instructors, the book includes twenty-eight chapters, sufficient for approximately ninety hours of hands-on instruction. Each topic has been rigorously selected based on the author's experience of more than two decades teaching Japanese linguistics. The book's breadth and depth make it highly appropriate for learners of the Japanese language, for linguistics students interested in Japanese, and for researchers interested in Japanese linguistics. Online resources include exercises and supplementary multimedia materials to enhance the reader's comprehension and enjoyment.

Part I. Introduction: 1. Typological and historical overview
2. Dialects
3. Sound system
4. Writing system
Part II. Lexicon: 5. Vocabulary
6. Word structure
Part III. Grammatical Foundations: 7. Grammatical relations and case marking
8. Subjects and topics
9. Tense, aspect, and taxis
Part IV. Major Clause Types: 10. Measurement and comparison
11. Causatives
12. Passives
13. Benefactives
14. Noun modification and complementation
15. Nominalization
Part V. Clause Linkage: 16. Temporal clauses
17. Causal and concessive clauses
18. Conditional clauses
Part VI. Pragmatics (Language Usage): 19. Speech acts
20. Politeness and honorifics I
21. Politeness and honorifics II
22. Speech style shift
23. Sentence-final particles
24. Modality and evidentiality
25. Backchanneling
26. Demonstratives
27. Represented speech
28. Gendered speech.

Subject Areas: Linguistics [CF]