Transcript JPN494: Japanese Language and Linguistics JPN520: Advanced

JPN494/598: History of the
Japanese Language
Introduction
Basic concepts & methodologies in
historical linguistics
The overview of the history of the Japanese
language
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Sound changes
Syntactic changes
Vocabulary changes
Development of writing systems
The formation of modern Japanese and
ongoing changes
Historical studies of languages
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What is historical linguistics about?
What’s the advantage of studying the history
of a particular language (or languages in
general)?
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Linguistic/Cognitive Interests
Historical Interests
Cultural Interests
1. Linguistic/Cognitive Interests
(Campbell 1999:2)
“[H]uman cognition and the human capacity for language learning
are central research interests in linguistics, and historical
linguistics contributes significantly to this goal.”
“As we determine more accurately what can change and what
cannot change in a language, and what the permitted versus
impossible ways are in which languages can change, we
contribute significantly to the understanding of universal grammar,
language typology and human cognition in general –
fundamental to understanding our very humanity.”
Permitted (common) vs. Impossible
(unlikely) ways of language changes
Example #1: Directionality of sound change
Unidirectional
 It is common for the [k] sound (velar stop) to change
into [h] (glottal fricative), but not vice versa.
 It is common for the [ʧ] ([č]; alveolar affricate) sound
to change into [ʃ] (alveolar fricative), but not vice
versa. (deaffrication)
e.g. chief vs. chef
→ perceptual reason?, “ease of articulation”?
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voicing of a consonant between two vowels
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caput (Latin) > cabo (Spanish) ‘head’
“It is easy to voice stops between vowels, since
vowels are inherently voiced.” (Campbell 1999:130)
Bidirectional
 diphthongization
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mouse: /mūs/ > /maʊs/
monophthongization
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tire: /taɪɝ/ > /tɑ(ɝ)/ (in some dialects)
autre: /aut/ > /ot/ (French)
auru- (Latin) > or (French)
Example #2: Directionality of semantic
change/extension
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‘see’ > ‘know, understand’
senses of touch/taste >
emotions/propensities
(e.g. feeling, bitter, sweet, sour)
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body-part > spatial location > temporal
location (e.g. in front of, ahead of, behind)
ability > obligation/permission >
necessity/probability (e.g. can, may, must)
→ understanding of abstract concepts in terms
of concrete concepts and their metaphorical
extensions
Historical/Anthropological Interests
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“Historical linguistic findings have been
utilized to solve historical problems of
concern to society which extend far beyond
linguistics” (Campbell 1999:1)
Example #1: “What was our ancestors’ life like?”
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Many languages spoken in the area covering
Europe and the Indian Subcontinent (which include
English, Iranian, Hindi) are linguistically proven to be
“relatives” (i.e. descendants of a single language).
Their ancestor language, called the Proto-IndoEuropean, left no written record, but it was
reconstructed by the hand of linguists (using the
comparative method).
The reconstructed Proto-Indo-European vocabulary
had words corresponding to:
 *h2erh3trom ‘plough’, *seh- ‘sow’, *peis- ‘thresh’, …
 *sū- ‘pig’, *h2egwno- ‘lamb’, *wakeh2- ‘cow’, …
as well as ‘honey’, ‘purchase’, ‘penalty’, ‘wheel’, ‘axe’,
‘fort’, ‘beech’, etc. …
Such information, along with material evidence (relics), helps us infer what
the society and culture of the ancient people were like.
Example #2: “Where did our ancestors come
from?”
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linguistic migration theory (the center of
gravity model)
Assumption: when a language family splits
up, it is more likely for the various daughter
languages to stay close to where they started
out and it is less likely for them to move very
far or very frequently.
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G
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http://www.danshort.com/ie/mapmaker.php?
Map=sprea (the Pontic steppes and Caspian
region)
Example #3: “What is/was the relation between
people A, people B, and people C?”
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genealogical relation (in the linguistic sense)
language contact (borrowing)
Cultural Interests
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Knowledge of an ancient language (or an
older phase of a language) help us
understand/appreciate old writings (historical
records, literary works, etc.)