How do you do in Japanese: On the most verb-like verb of Japanese

MATELA, Jiří. How do you do in Japanese: On the most verb-like verb of Japanese. In Iaponica Brunensia 2023. 2023.

Basic information

• Original name: How do you do in Japanese: On the most verb-like verb of Japanese
• Name in Czech: Jak se to "dělá" v Japonštině: K nejslovatějšímu slovesu v japonském jazyce
• Name (in English): How do you do in Japanese: On the most verb-like verb of Japanese
• Authors: MATELA, Jiří.
• Edition: Iaponica Brunensia 2023, 2023.

Other information

• Original language: Japanese
• Type of outcome: Presentations at conferences
• Field of Study: 60202 Specific languages
• Country of publisher: Czech Republic
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• Organization unit: Faculty of Arts
• Keywords (in Czech): japonský jazyk;sloveso;suru;konstrukce
• Keywords in English: Japanese language;verb;suru;constructions
• Tags: International impact

Abstract

The opposition of DO-type-of-expression and BECOME-type-of expression (スル表現とナル表現) in the Japanese language has been known at least since Teramura (1976). This oppose-tion was later developed into a typological category by Ikegami (1981) and has since been extensively examined. While most of the focus has been on Japanese predominantly being a BECOME-language, there has also been criticism regarding the relative preference of constructions with the verb suru (Noda, 2015) or the core meaning of this verb (Takebayashi, 2008). There is a strong justification for examining suru given that it is the second most frequently used verb in Japanese (following iu, according to Tono et al., 2013) and one of the first verbs that JFL students learn. However, the very nature of this expression is highly problematic. In this presentation, I will discuss the identity of the Japanese verb suru from a constructionist perspective. I will highlight the diverse functions of the expression and the challenges in defining its identity, both as a lexical item and as a functional (grammatical) morpheme. Additionally, I will argue for the separation of the typological concept of a DO-language (スル（型）言語) from the verb suru. My conclusions will support the Radical Construction Grammar framework (Croft, 2001), which views a construction as the elementary unit of a grammar.

Abstract (in Czech)

Opozice výrazů typu "suru" ("dělá") a "naru" ("nastává") v japonštině je známá přinejmenším od publikace Teramurovy studie z r. 1976. Tato opozice byla rozvedena do typologické podoby Ikegamim (1981) a prošla od té doby intenzivním zkoumáním. Většina pozornosti se přitom soustředila na "naru" a související jazykový typ, resp. příslušnost japonštiny k němu (např. Noda, 2015). Některé přístupy se však věnují také otázce "suru" (např. Takebajaši, 2008). Tato prezentaci si klade za cíl představit "suru" a jeho identitu v kontextu širokého spektra konstrukcí, v nichž se výraz vyskytuje s pestrou paletou významů a funkcí. Závěry souzní s Croftovou teorií Radikální konstrukční gramatiky (2001).

Abstract (in English)

The opposition of DO-type-of-expression and BECOME-type-of expression (スル表現とナル表現) in the Japanese language has been known at least since Teramura (1976). This oppose-tion was later developed into a typological category by Ikegami (1981) and has since been extensively examined. While most of the focus has been on Japanese predominantly being a BECOME-language, there has also been criticism regarding the relative preference of constructions with the verb suru (Noda, 2015) or the core meaning of this verb (Takebayashi, 2008). There is a strong justification for examining suru given that it is the second most frequently used verb in Japanese (following iu, according to Tono et al., 2013) and one of the first verbs that JFL students learn. However, the very nature of this expression is highly problematic. In this presentation, I will discuss the identity of the Japanese verb suru from a constructionist perspective. I will highlight the diverse functions of the expression and the challenges in defining its identity, both as a lexical item and as a functional (grammatical) morpheme. Additionally, I will argue for the separation of the typological concept of a DO-language (スル（型）言語) from the verb suru. My conclusions will support the Radical Construction Grammar framework (Croft, 2001), which views a construction as the elementary unit of a grammar.