Disarray in the language: A sociolinguistic study of kotoba no midare
Author
Summary, in English
The following thesis investigates Japanese native speakers’ attitudes towards linguistic changes and the degree to which they associate it with social aspects and changes on a wider- encompassing spectrum. More specifically, the study looks at the phenomenon commonly known as kotoba no midare (“disarray in the language”), a notion that has long been part of the Japanese public discourse surrounding language change. Over the years, various researchers have attributed the concerns regarding kotoba no midare to worries about social problems on a wider scale. The objective of this thesis is to examine to what extent the aforementioned assertions hold water. Furthermore, it also aims to provide a more general overview of how native speakers of Japanese consider linguistic change. The results of the study indicate that the respondents associate language change with social change to a high degree, and that they also view midare as being interlinked with social aspects to a lesser extent.
Department/s
Publishing year
2021
Language
English
Full text
Document type
Student publication for Bachelor's degree
Topic
- Languages and Literatures
Keywords
- Japanese
- language change
- linguistic change
- social change
- kotoba no midare
- attitude
- opinions
Supervisor
- RIKA HAYASHI
- Mechtild Tronnier