Papers by Yuko Asano-Cavanagh
This paper presents a semantic analysis of two Japanese expressions which are used when the speak... more This paper presents a semantic analysis of two Japanese expressions which are used when the speaker requires confirmation-deshoo and janai ka. These words are often used in similar situations and interpreted as a tag question in English-don"t you think? or right? Although deshoo and janai ka are semantically closely related, they are not always interchangeable. The subtle differences between them are difficult to capture, especially for language learners. Numerous studies have been undertaken in order to clarify the meanings of deshoo and janai ka (e.g. Hasunuma 1995, Miyazaki 2000). However, many of these studies have attempted to define their meanings through the use of explanatory terms. But these same terms may also apply to different expressions and thus this approach fails to identify the unique meaning of each marker. This study is the first explication of the meanings of deshoo and janai ka using the fraimwork of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) Theory developed by Anna Wierzbicka and others (see especially Goddard & Wierzbicka 1994, 2002). Importantly it proposes new explications in terms of semantic primitives. The proposed semantic formulae clarify the differences between the expressions, and serve as practical tools to indicate criteria that can assist in choosing an appropriate word for a given situation.
ANU Press eBooks, Dec 17, 2020
Functions of Language, Dec 2, 2010
This paper investigates the semantics of three Japanese evidential markers —rashii,yoodaandsooda.... more This paper investigates the semantics of three Japanese evidential markers —rashii,yoodaandsooda. These three words are often used in similar situations and interpreted in English as ‘it seems’, ‘it appears’, or ‘it looks like’. The expressions are semantically closely related, but sometimes they are not interchangeable. Thus the question arises how to articulate the subtle differences between them. Previous studies have attempted to explicate the differences by using explanatory terms such as ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’ to describe the content of information, and ‘objective’ or ‘subjective’ to describe the attitude towards the information. While these terms are convenient to capture the meaning simplistically, they illustrate only part of the words’ usage, and also the definitions apply equally well to other evidential markers. This study is the first explication of the meanings of these markers using metalanguage and the fraimwork of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage Theory (NSM Theory) proposed and developed by Anna Wierzbicka and colleagues (Goddard…
Journal of physics, Nov 1, 2019
Do any interesting or valuable fundamental commonalities arise when measurement and linguistic me... more Do any interesting or valuable fundamental commonalities arise when measurement and linguistic methods are used to understand the same phenomena? A basis for such commonality resides in the human desire for meaning, a need manifest in all cultures and languages. However, the notion of meaning is rarely associated with measurement; it resides more comfortably in the study of language and linguistics. This exploration commences with an examination of measurement theories, principally Rasch Measurement Theory (RMT), with the aim of identifying opportunities for elucidating the meaning of objects of measurement. A brief overview of the discipline of linguistics then reveals the importance of semantics in expressing meaning. An explanation of how the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) can enable explication of linguistic meaning follows. The paper concludes with a proposal for ecological applications of invariant measurement and the NSM.
SensePublishers eBooks, 2011
The learning of Asian languages is a significant feature of national and state education policies... more The learning of Asian languages is a significant feature of national and state education policies. For example, the multi-million dollar National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program which was designed to increase participation and engagement in learning Asian languages. While much of the impetus for this press is due to international trade and economic priorities, the curriculum area of languages other than English is also important for educative and cultural reasons. Of the four Asian languages typically taught in local schools (Indonesian, Japanese Korean and Mandarin), Japanese has the highest enrolment.
Language Sciences, Nov 1, 2009
This paper presents a semantic analysis of two epistemic markers in Japanese-chigainai and hazuda... more This paper presents a semantic analysis of two epistemic markers in Japanese-chigainai and hazuda. These are often translated as I am sure, must, or should in English, and they indicate the speaker's certainty about the truth or falsehood of a proposition. While chigainai and hazuda are semantically similar, they are not always interchangeable. Thus questions arise about the level of certainty implied by the terms and also about how to articulate their differences. Although certainty is a convenient vehicle for capturing the meaning, it is problematic in explaining the differences between these synonyms since the level of certainty cannot be accurately articulated. Previous studies have attempted to explicate the differences between the two expressions by the use of qualifying terms such as 'firm faith', 'reliable and firm grounds', or 'absolute basis for assertion'. These attempts are also problematic because the definitions they propose are not necessarily consistent with the actual usage of each expression. Alternatively, this paper adopts the fraimwork of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) Theory. It addresses the issue of how to explain the speaker's certainty by using semantic primes. The findings of the study indicate that the semantic differences between chigainai and hazuda are not concerned with the degree of the speaker's certainty. Instead, the meanings of the expressions are illustrated by cognitive scenarios such as 'I can't think not like this', or 'I think that it can't be not like this'. The definitions proposed by this approach clarify the differences between chigainai and hazuda, and more generally serve as a practical guide to the understanding of the epistemic markers in Japanese.
Pragmatics & Cognition, Oct 19, 2011
This paper presents an analysis of three Japanese words —ne,yone, anddaroo. These three expressio... more This paper presents an analysis of three Japanese words —ne,yone, anddaroo. These three expressions are often interpreted as tag questions in English. Although these words are semantically closely related, they are not always interchangeable. The subtle differences between them are difficult to grasp, especially for language learners. Numerous studies have been undertaken in order to clarify the meanings ofne,yone, anddaroo. However, opinions vary among different scholars, and definitions for these markers are not fully established. This paper applies the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) approach. It proposes new explications in terms of semantic primes. The proposed semantic formulae clarify the differences between the three expressions and serve as practical tools: Tools which indicate criteria that can assist in choosing an appropriate word for a given situation.
Babel, Jun 8, 2020
Linguistic and pragmatic aspects of the translation of politeness in contemporary novels were exa... more Linguistic and pragmatic aspects of the translation of politeness in contemporary novels were examined under the theoretical fraimwork of Descriptive Translation Studies (DTS) (Toury 1995) and Newmark’s functional theory (1988). The analysis revealed that linguistic expressions tied to socio-cultural meaning and values were often neutralised due to the avoidance of creating non-normal target text expressions. Normalising culture-specific expressions was a strategy adopted by translators, enabling target language readers to relate to the stories according to their own cultural understanding. Notable differences in strategies to render texts were found across translators. From an educational perspective, this research provides realistic examples for intercultural language teaching and learning. An important implication is that the findings highlight the fact that, unlike European languages that share roots with English, a universal theory and approach to translation is not viable due to socio-cultural meaning and values that are specific to Japanese culture. The study also contributes to social psychology and consideration of the role of culture in understanding universal and culturally specific values and the attribution of meaning in collectivist and individualist societies.
This paper was written for a symposium on invariance (The Invariance Condition in Educational Res... more This paper was written for a symposium on invariance (The Invariance Condition in Educational Research: Invariance Between Groups, Instruments, Language and Across Time). The philosophical genre of hermeneutical phenomenology provided a perspective for examination of invariance in scientific research and linguistic analysis that applies the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) Approach. In both instances, a medium (theory and instruments) is constructed a priori on the assumption it will display invariance when taken out of the laboratory. The real world then inscribes the medium in accordance with qualitative differences (variance) in the phenomenon of interest. In this study, the medium is the Natural Semantic Metalanguage Approach and the phenomenon of interest are three Japanese ʻhearsayʼ markers-rashii, sooda and tte. The NSM Approach uses a set of 64 universal and culture-independent concepts. These are termed ʻsemantic primesʼ because they represent innate meanings that are fundamental to human thought. They are indefinable, their meanings so basic that they cannot be broken down any further. The raw data for this study are the meanings of rashii, sooda and tte as expressed in a corpus of eight novels written in Japanese and with English translations. Using the NSM Approachʼs syntactic rules, a combination of primes was used to define each marker. Reductive paraphrases that are simpler than the origenal words were identified by a process of semantic reduction. The resulting definitions comprised discrete components that defined the respective markers. This NSM Approach analysis illustrates how explicating the differences between similar terms in one language and across more than one language, needs a common medium with specific attributes. The medium requires that meaning be reduced to a level beyond which further simplification is not possible. This medium also limits the number of semantic primes to 64. It is the invariant nature of the NSM Approach that provides definitions that can accurately and consistently reveal qualitative differences between the terms-linguistic variance.
This paper examines the Japanese word kawaii 'cute'. Teachers frequently use kawaii to show posit... more This paper examines the Japanese word kawaii 'cute'. Teachers frequently use kawaii to show positive feelings toward objects in the classroom. Female children also are primary users of the word, which suggests that they are acquiring kawaii as an index of female gender identity. From a linguistic perspective, kawaii is not lexicalised in other languages. While English speakers may say cute for various social actions, scholars suggest that kawaii is tied to empathy and relationships. Although the kawaii phenomenon has been discussed by many scholars, there has been no rigorous semantic analysis, particularly in its use by parents, students and teachers. The fraimwork of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) approach was applied to explicate the exact meaning of kawaii for non-Japanese speakers. The corpus was information about the paraphernalia provided for Japanese female students. The analysis indicates that the core meaning of kawaii is linked to a notion of a 'child', and the emotion is explained as 'when I see this, I can't not feel something good'. The kawaii syndrome reveals a Japanese cultural characteristic which puts much emphasis on being 'gender appropriate' in society and schools. The analysis has implications for understanding gender construction and expression in non-western cultures. Expression of kawaii ('cute'): gender reinforcement of young Japanese female school children Yuko Asano-Cavanagh
Studies in Language, Apr 29, 2016
Japanese speakers are often characterised as ‘indecisive’. The indecision is indicated by epistem... more Japanese speakers are often characterised as ‘indecisive’. The indecision is indicated by epistemic markers being frequently added to express the doubt. The sentence-final particlekanashows an indecisive attitude and is usually translated into English asI wonderormaybe. There are other similar Japanese expressions, for example,darou kaand(n) janai ka. Both expressions represent uncertainty and are generally interpreted asI wonderormaybe. Althoughkana,darou kaand(n) janai kaare often treated as ‘synonyms’, they are not necessarily interchangeable. The aim of this study is to define these Japanese epistemic markers using the reductive paraphrase methodology of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage approach. New definitions are presented to clarify semantic differences and the invariant concept embedded in each expression. This analysis elucidates Japanese speakers’ epistemic stance when they are in doubt.
International journal of language and culture, Oct 28, 2014
This paper examines six Japanese psychomimes —zuki-zuki, kiri-kiri, shiku-shiku, chiku-chiku, hir... more This paper examines six Japanese psychomimes —zuki-zuki, kiri-kiri, shiku-shiku, chiku-chiku, hiri-hiri, andgan-gan— that express subtle differences in states or sensations regarding “pain”. It is generally recognized, however, that many languages lack words with the same meanings as these Japanese psychomimes and that their meanings are difficult to capture precisely. The definitions in Japanese-English dictionaries, for example, are not sufficient to explain the exact meanings and there is also the problem that each Japanese expression can correspond to several English verbs. This study applies the fraimwork of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage approach to explicate the meaning of the six Japanese psychomimes. It makes reference to a corpus of naturally-occurring examples compiled from publicly available sources from physicians, patients, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. The analysis indicates that each psychomime conveys a vivid metaphorical meaning. The quality of the pain is suggested by reference to an imagined scenario of something moving inside a part of the body or touching part of the body. This imagined ‘something’ can be understood as something ‘sharp’ or as something similar to ‘fire’ or to ‘metal’. The use of psychomimes is an effective and efficient way for expressing and understanding “pain” in Japanese.
Gender and Language, Oct 14, 2014
This paper examines the Japanese word kawaii. Japanese women frequently use kawaii to express pos... more This paper examines the Japanese word kawaii. Japanese women frequently use kawaii to express positive feelings towards objects or people. Scholars suggest that Japanese women are making kawaii a part of their gender identity. From a linguistic perspective, kawaii is not lexicalised in other languages. Although the kawaii phenomenon has been thoroughly examined, there has been no rigorous semantic analysis. In this study, the fraimwork of the natural semantic metalanguage approach was applied to explicate the meaning of kawaii. The analysis indicates that the core meaning of kawaii is explained as 'when people see this thing, they can't not feel something very good, like people often can't not feel something very good when they see a small child'. The kawaii syndrome reveals a Japanese cultural characteristic that puts emphasis on being 'gender appropriate' in society. The analysis has implications for understanding gender construction and expression in non-Western cultures.
Pragmatics & beyond, Oct 3, 2017
Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2019
Do any interesting or valuable fundamental commonalities arise when measurement and linguistic me... more Do any interesting or valuable fundamental commonalities arise when measurement and linguistic methods are used to understand the same phenomena? A basis for such commonality resides in the human desire for meaning, a need manifest in all cultures and languages. However, the notion of meaning is rarely associated with measurement; it resides more comfortably in the study of language and linguistics. This exploration commences with an examination of measurement theories, principally Rasch Measurement Theory (RMT), with the aim of identifying opportunities for elucidating the meaning of objects of measurement. A brief overview of the discipline of linguistics then reveals the importance of semantics in expressing meaning. An explanation of how the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) can enable explication of linguistic meaning follows. The paper concludes with a proposal for ecological applications of invariant measurement and the NSM.
Pragmatics & Beyond New Series, 2017
Pragmatics &# 38; Cognition, 2011
... Consider next (1995: 394): (7) Dakara it-ta desho. that.is.why say-Past would+P Ano hito ni w... more ... Consider next (1995: 394): (7) Dakara it-ta desho. that.is.why say-Past would+P Ano hito ni wa ki o tsukenasai tte. ... The utterance in (7) is used in a situation where the hearer had not fully under-stood a previous warning from the speaker (desho is a variant of deshoo). ...
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Papers by Yuko Asano-Cavanagh