Japanese Lexicon Research Articles

A phonotactic-tonotactic grammar for Tokyo Japanese that clusters by lexical strata offers a good trade-off between model size and likelihood

The Japanese lexicon is typically classified into at least three etymological strata: native, Sino-Japanese and foreign words. In Tokyo Japanese, nouns from different strata are known to have different phonotactic as well as tonotactic properties. Should one analyze Tokyo Japanese nouns using a non-clustering grammar that generates all nouns using the same phonological grammar, or should one analyze them using a clustering grammar that generates nouns from different strata using different grammars? In this study, I address this question from a probabilistic and a model selection perspective: the better probabilistic grammar is one that better balances fit to data and the number of parameters in the grammar. Using the UCLA Phonotactic Learner, I train two kinds of MaxEnt grammars that correspond to non-clustering and clustering grammars. I compare the two kinds of grammar using the Bayesian Information Crierion (BIC), and show that the non-clustering grammars make a better trade-off between fit to data and model size than non-clustering grammars. Consequently, different etymological strata of the Tokyo Japanese nominal lexicon are better analyzed as being generated from different MaxEnt grammars than from the same MaxEnt grammar.

Features of adaptation of English lexical borrowings in the process of Japanese lexicon formation

Features of adaptation of English lexical borrowings in the process of Japanese lexicon formation

Chaos or system?

Abstract This paper seeks to reassess the balance between chaos and systematicity within the Japanese writing system (JWS), which is noted for its complexity. As potential factors for chaos, Section 2 focuses on two important conventions. The first is the simultaneous use of multiple scripts as components of a largely systematic whole, even though it also affords considerable levels of graphematic variation. The second convention of dual-readings turns on kanji graphematically mapping to both Native-Japanese (NJ) and Sino-Japanese (SJ) morphemes, which yields the JWS’s intriguing form of morphography. However, as a factor that is, to a considerable degree, a major source of systematicity, Section 3 outlines the graphematic representation of SJ compound words. More specifically, starting from the morphological structures of two-kanji compound words (2KCWs), Section 3 introduces the dominant morphological patterns of three-kanji (3KCWs) and four-kanji compound words (4KCWs), which underscore the significance of 2KCWs within the Japanese mental lexicon, and concludes by noting Hatano, Kuhara, and Akiyama’s (1981) study about inferring the meanings of SJ compound words.

Statistical Evidence for Learnable Lexical Subclasses in Japanese

It has been proposed that the Japanese lexicon can be divided into etymologically defined sublexica on phonotactic and other grounds. However, the psychological reality of this sublexical analysis has been challenged by some authors, who have appealed to putative problems with the learnability of the system. In this study, we apply a commonly used clustering method to Japanese words and show that there is robust statistical evidence for the sublexica and, thereby, that such sublexica are learnable. The model is able to recover phonotactic properties of sublexica previously discussed in the literature, and also reveals hitherto unnoticed phonotactic properties that are characteristic of sublexical membership and can serve as a basis for future experimental investigations. The proposed approach is general and based purely on phonotactic information and thus can be applied to other languages.

Iconicity ratings really do measure iconicity, and they open a new window onto the nature of language

Abstract This paper reviews recent research using participant ratings to measure the iconicity (form-meaning resemblance) of words and signs. This method, by enabling wide coverage of lexical items and cross-linguistic comparison, has revealed systematic patterns in how iconicity is distributed across the vocabularies of different languages. These findings are consistent with established linguistic and psychological theory on iconicity, and they connect iconicity to factors like learning and acquisition, semantics, pragmatic aspects of language like playfulness, and to the semantic neighborhood density of words and signs. After taking stock of this research, we look critically at the construct validity of iconicity ratings, considering an alternative account of iconicity ratings recently put forward by Thompson, Arthur Lewis, Kimi Akita & Youngah Do. 2020a. Iconicity ratings across the Japanese lexicon: A comparative study with English. Linguistics Vanguard 6. 20190088. They propose that, for most vocabulary, participants might rate the iconicity of different words based on their meaning alone – specifically the degree to which it relates to the senses – independently of actual form-meaning resemblance. We argue that their hypothesis cannot account for many of the various, theory-driven results from this line of research, which strongly support the conclusion that the ratings really do measure iconicity.

Sequential Voicing in Old Japanese

This study tackles sequential voicing in Old Japanese with a focus on three matters: (a) the interaction of the eight vowels and aspirated consonants; (b) the association of the written system and sequential voicing; and (c) the interaction between the combinationality of each constituent and sequential voicing. Four hundred and seventy-two compound nouns of Old Japanese were collected from the corpus ‘The Japanese Lexicon: A Rendaku Encyclopedia’ by NINJAL. The findings reveal that (i) /k/ has the largest token number of sequential voicing and /p/ has the second largest token number, followed by /s/ and /t/; (ii) regarding the eight vowels /a/, /e1/, /e2/, /i1/, /i2/, /o1/, /o2/ and /u/, /a/ is most likely to form a [N1-N2] whose initial consonant is /k/, /p/ and /t/. It is not likely for the vowel /a/ to invite a voiced ‘/s/-initial’ N1’; /o1/ and /o2/ are both likely to combine with a voiced consonant /k/; /t/ and are less likely to yield a voiced /s/; /e1/ is more likely to invite a voiced consonant than /e2/, but /e1/ does not invite a voiced /p/; /e2/ does not yield a voiced /s/; and /i1/ is likely to take a voiced consonant than /i2/. /k/ and /t/ are the two consonants that are most likely to be voiced when forming a N-N with N1 ends with /i1/. /i2/ does not invite a voiced /p/, /s/ or /t/; /u/ never results in a voiced /s/; (iii) there is a split in the characters that renders a voiced phoneme or an unvoiced phoneme; and (iv) the semantic relationship of N1 and N2 in [N1-N2] that bears sequential voicing is of six types, of which the most frequent relationship of N1 and N2 is [Modifier - N2]. The [prefix-N2] construction is not subject to sequential voicing.

The Use of Japanese Adjectives Ureshii and Tanoshii

This study is a semantic study that explores the genre of meaning in general. It focuses on the synonyms of adjectives ureshii and tanoshii in the construction of sentences in the Japanese language. The objective of this study is to discuss similarities and differences of the usage of synonyms ureshii and tanoshii and also to analyse the implementation from the perspective of adjectives in the Malay language. The data selected for this study are sentences that contained ureshii and tanoshii lexicons based on Shinmeikai Japanese Language Dictionary (2012). This study utilizes qualitative research methodology in which the data are analysed descriptively. Besides that, the data are also analysed using textual analysis based on the conceptual framework by Ibrahim Ahmad (2005). The findings of this study elucidate the technical differences in the usage of Japanese adjectives ureshii and tanoshii as compared to Malay adjectives gembira [happy] and seronok [excited]. It shows that the two adjectives have similar meaning and nuance but cannot be used interchangeably. The outcomes of this study can be used as reference material for teachers and students to master the usage of adjectives in Japanese language. Lastly, further studies on Japanese lexicon keiyoushi should be carried out entirely.

Iconicity ratings across the Japanese lexicon: A comparative study with English

Abstract Iconicity is a resemblance between form and meaning grounded in perceptuo-motor analogy. In speech, iconicity is understood as words “sounding like what they mean.” Studies on English and Spanish use ratings to identify words speakers consider iconic. Perry et al. (2015) show that English onomatopoeia are rated highest, followed by adjectives/verbs > nouns > function words. Our study replicates this for Japanese but, owing to additional variables, yields more nuanced findings. Word-class aside, Japanese speakers are more likely to rate words as iconic if they are an (1) ideophone > (2) Yamato/native prosaic word > or (3) non-Yamato prosaic word. For comparison, we reanalyzed English ratings from Perry et al. (2015), and found neither strata (Germanic, Latinate, French) nor historically iconic etymology had a significant effect. With these factors in mind, we propose that ratings reflect a word’s relationship to sensory information rather than iconicity.

Contemporary Loanwords in hiragana: An Analysis of Typical Traits and Contexts

ABSTRACTLoanwords (gairaigo), words ‘borrowed’ from other languages, are an integral part of the Japanese language, and are estimated to account for around 10% of the modern Japanese lexicon. While loanwords are conventionally written with the katakana script, some contemporary examples appear in the hiragana script, which is usually reserved for words of Japanese origin. A corpus of loanwords in hiragana was assembled and analysed in order to describe typical characteristics of these words, such as the source language and method of elongating vowels, as well as the genres of text in which such words appear. The motivation for the use of hiragana for loanwords is also discussed, and expands on selected well-documented functions of loanwords. For example, loanwords can be used to fill lexical gaps, or give a ‘cool’ or ‘modern’ image to a referent. These functions are discussed specifically in relation to loanwords in hiragana. The results of this study extend prior research on loanwords in Japanese, and reinforce the often-cited flexibility and adaptability of the Japanese writing system.

Syllable structure and stratification in Bangla

Abstract This study attempts to analyse the permissible syllable structures and the aspiration and voicing of word-initial and word-final segments in the syllable structure of Bangla. A corpus study leads to a detailed analysis of Bangla syllable structure restrictions, relative to the three traditional strata of the Bangla lexicon, namely, Native Bangla (NB, Tadbhava), Sanskrit borrowings (SB, Tatsama and Ardha-Tatsama), and other borrowings (OB, Deshi and Bideshi), following Ito and Mester’s work on the Japanese lexicon. Complex codas are allowed only in OB. Complex onsets are ruled out in NB while they have the maximal form s+C+liquid in SB and OB. There is no onset maximisation: Medial clusters in all strata avoid complex onsets if a consonant can be syllabified into the preceding coda (Vp.lV rather than V.plV). Aspiration is banned from the coda in NB but not generally in SB and OB, where restrictions that are more complex obtain. Obstruent voicing contrasts are present in onset and coda, but voicing agreement is enforced in obstruent clusters. Analyses of these restrictions are presented in Optimality Theory: the different strata of the lexicon may have different phonologies, i. e. different constraint ranking.

Japanese Lexical Variation Explained by Spatial Contact Patterns

In this paper, we analyse spatial variation in the Japanese dialectal lexicon by assembling a set of methodologies using theories in variationist linguistics and GIScience, and tools used in historical GIS. Based on historical dialect atlas data, we calculate a linguistic distance matrix across survey localities. The linguistic variation expressed through this distance is contrasted with several measurements, based on spatial distance, utilised to estimate language contact potential across Japan, historically and at present. Further, administrative boundaries are tested for their separation effect. Measuring aggregate associations within linguistic variation can contrast previous notions of dialect area formation by detecting continua. Depending on local geographies in spatial subsets, great circle distance, travel distance and travel times explain a similar proportion of the variance in linguistic distance despite the limitations of the latter two. While they explain the majority, two further measurements estimating contact have lower explanatory power: least cost paths, modelling contact before the industrial revolution, based on DEM and sea navigation, and a linguistic influence index based on settlement hierarchy. Historical domain boundaries and present day prefecture boundaries are found to have a statistically significant effect on dialectal variation. However, the interplay of boundaries and distance is yet to be identified. We claim that a similar methodology can address spatial variation in other digital humanities, given a similar spatial and attribute granularity.

Yìcún Wénzì (extant characters) in Japanese lexicon: Exploring characters of historically Chinese origin with evidence from Six dynasties, Sui and Tang dynasties, China

A careful analysis of historical literary sources reveals that some supposedly Japanese native characters are in fact of historically Chinese origin, namely “extant characters” (yicun wenzi). In th...

Nonce-loan judgments and impossible-nativization effects in Japanese

The core-periphery structure of the Japanese lexicon is well documented (e.g., Ito & Mester 1995ab, 1999), but there is some controversy as to whether it is synchronically productive. Productive core-periphery structure should show synchronic evidence for a HIERARCHY OF FOREIGNNESS (Kiparsky 1973) among non-native phonological structures, and should give rise to IMPOSSIBLE-NATIVIZATION EFFECTS (Ito & Mester 1999, 2001)--speakers should reject a nonce loanword that nativizes a 'less-foreign' structure while preserving a 'more-foreign' one. We carried out an experiment to collect nonce-loan nativization judgments from speakers of Japanese in order to test these claims. We found, first, that participants have a hierarchy of foreignness that is approximately like the predicted one, but differs in the relative markedness of singleton [p] and sequences of nasal+voiceless obstruent; we also found some interspeaker variation in the hierarchy. Second, while most participants showed nativization preferences that look like impossible- nativization effects, not all participants had a consistent hierarchy of preferences across all constraint pairs. These results have implications both for the phonological analysis of existing stratum-specific alternations in Japanese and for theoretical approaches to loanword phonology.

Pemendekkan Gairaigo dalam J Bridge for Beginners Vol 1 dan 2

Japanese loan words are ubiquitous in Japanese lexicon and the using of them are omnipresent in Japanese society. Loan words called gairaigo in Japanese. Gairaigo came from foreign languages (other than Chinese) which are borrowed to Japanese and adapted to Japanese phonological system. The adaptation to Japanese phonological system makes gairaigo longer than the original words, hence to make them easier to be used, gairaigo tend to be shortened. This study discusses about shortening process of gairaigo. Engman (2018) stated that shortening process of gairaigo can be happen in single word (single word truncation) and compound words (compound truncation). Single word truncation known as clipping. Irwin (2016) wrote that clipping consist of back clipping, fore clipping and mid clipping, and compound truncation consist of morpho-ortographic truncation, compound clipping, and ellipsis. Data source of this study are J Bridge for beginners volume 1 and 2. The type of research is qualitative research with descriptive method.

Constructing an ontology and database of Japanese lexical properties

Abstract As a significant milestone within ongoing efforts to construct a comprehensive database in the form of a lexical resource (LR) of Japanese Lexical Properties (JLP-LR), this paper outlines the initial construction of an Ontology of Japanese Lexical Properties (JLP-O) (Joyce & Hodošček 2014), and, in particular, describes some of its key aspects specifically incorporated in order to satisfactorily handle the orthographic complexity of the Japanese writing system (Joyce 2013, 2016; Joyce, Hodošček & Nishina 2012). While motivated primarily by issues of orthographic representation for the Japanese lexicon, these key features potentially have wider implications for the effective construction of integrated orthographic databases and lexicons.

寿閑本節用集の意義 : 慶長刊行節用集の記述のために( 資料研究の現在)

寿閑本節用集の意義 : 慶長刊行節用集の記述のために( 資料研究の現在)

Current trends and prospects of studies on Japanese lexicon and semantics

Current trends and prospects of studies on Japanese lexicon and semantics

The modern Japanese color lexicon.

Despite numerous prior studies, important questions about the Japanese color lexicon persist, particularly about the number of Japanese basic color terms and their deployment across color space. Here, 57 native Japanese speakers provided monolexemic terms for 320 chromatic and 10 achromatic Munsell color samples. Through k-means cluster analysis we revealed 16 statistically distinct Japanese chromatic categories. These included eight chromatic basic color terms (aka/red, ki/yellow, midori/green, ao/blue, pink, orange, cha/brown, and murasaki/purple) plus eight additional terms: mizu ("water")/light blue, hada ("skin tone")/peach, kon ("indigo")/dark blue, matcha ("green tea")/yellow-green, enji/maroon, oudo ("sand or mud")/mustard, yamabuki ("globeflower")/gold, and cream. Of these additional terms, mizu was used by 98% of informants, and emerged as a strong candidate for a 12th Japanese basic color term. Japanese and American English color-naming systems were broadly similar, except for color categories in one language (mizu, kon, teal, lavender, magenta, lime) that had no equivalent in the other. Our analysis revealed two statistically distinct Japanese motifs (or color-naming systems), which differed mainly in the extension of mizu across our color palette. Comparison of the present data with an earlier study by Uchikawa & Boynton (1987) suggests that some changes in the Japanese color lexicon have occurred over the last 30 years.

Study of the Japanese color lexicon using cluster analysis

Study of the Japanese color lexicon using cluster analysis

Errors in the use of English in the Japanese linguistic landscape

Foreign words which have been borrowed into the Japanese language, especially in the last few centuries, are commonly labelled as 外来語, gairaigo, meaning words (語, go) coming in (来, rai) from outside (外, gai). This umbrella term encompasses lexical items from numerous foreign languages, including Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Korean, German, and English. As they undergo the borrowing process into the Japanese linguistic system, the words are likely to undergo modification, particularly in terms of their phonology, orthography, semantics, and syntax. The overwhelming majority of gairaigo have their roots in the English language; estimates put their number at around 10% of the Japanese lexicon (Daulton, 2008; Stanlaw, 2004). They include borrowings in the daily Japanese vocabulary (ニュース, nyūsu, news); ones used primarily in specialist fields, (コーパス, kōpasu, corpus), and others recorded in dictionaries but that play very little part in actual language usage (インディビデュアル, indibijyuaru, individual).