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The usage of ‘Omou’ in conversations between university female students : Focusing on ‘Omou’ as hedge
The Japanese Language Association of Korea
Abbr :
JLAK
2018, (58), pp.165-182
Publisher : The Japanese Language Association Of Korea
Research Area : Japanese Language and Literature
2018, (58), pp.165-182
Publisher : The Japanese Language Association Of Korea
Research Area : Japanese Language and Literature
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This study investigated the usage of ‘Omou’ focusing on the function of hedge in conversations of native Japanese female university students who are in their 20s. The conversation took place among friends of the same age and students meeting for the first time. The usage of ‘Omou’ was divided into ‘Thinking verb’ and ‘Hedge’. The results of the usage of ‘Omou’ discussed in this study are summarized as follows. In both conversations between friends and first-time meeting students, it found that ‘Omou’ was used more as ‘Hedge’ than ‘Thinking verb’. The functions of ‘Hedge’ in conversations were classified into three categories for this study: ‘Uncertainty’, ‘Private information maker’ and ‘Softening’. The most frequently used function of ‘Omou’ as hedge among first-time meeting students and friends was the function of ‘Private information maker’. In the first-time meeting students’ conversation, they appeared in the order of ‘softening’ and ‘Uncertainty’. However, in the friends’ conversation they appeared in the order of ‘Uncertainty’ and ‘Softening’. The analysis of the function of ‘Omou’ as hedge demonstrated that ‘Omou’ as hedge in both groups of students was frequently used to show ‘Private information maker’.
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