2016, Vol., No.42

日本硏究 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.41

pISSN : 1229-6309
https://journal.kci.go.kr/cajjso

Language attrition is defined as the opposite process of language acquisition, namely the process of decay of a language. It is observed in an individual speaker or a speech community that experienced for lack of use of a language after a certain period of language contact. Although various grammatical approaches on language attrition have been conducted so far, less phonemic and phonetic changes caused by language attrition have been found. In this paper, I will focus on the phonemic and phonetic changes by observing the use of Japanese of Korean returnee children who have stayed for a while in Japan and gone back to Korea after their stay. As a result of two-year longitudinal study after they went back to Korea, I point out some phonemic and phonetic changes which are influenced by the application of the Korean phonemics and phonetics, such as elision of /h/, insertion of /n/, and liaison. Furthermore, there are some changes which are not caused by their native language, Korean. The speakers may feel some difficulties in the Japanese pronunciations because they have less contact with Japanese after their return.

This paper discusses how the Japanese adverbs ‘totemo’, ‘dooshitemo’ and ‘nakanaka’ are construed when they are used with negative predicates. These adverbs share the same features that they are used in a sentence which indicates impossibility or difficulty. It is argued, however, that the adverbs ‘totemo’, ‘dooshitemo’ and ‘nakanaka’ do not share the same properties when the types of co-occurred negative predicates and the constructional features are taken into consideration. As for the types of co-occurred negative predicates, it is shown that ‘totemo’ and ‘doohitemo’ occur with the same type of predicates which indicates impossibility or difficulty, while ‘nakanaka’ occurs more with the type of predicates which shows non-realization. It is also shown that ‘nakanaka’ can co-occur with volitional verbs. As for the constructional features, it is argued from the next two points of view, “conditioning” and “temporal stability”. ‘totemo’ needs to be conditioned with the reasons or situations for its impossibility or difficulty, on the other hand, ‘dooshitemo’ and ‘nakanaka’ do not always need to be conditioned with them. It is also argued that negative sentences with ‘totemo’ indicate permanent state while those with ‘dooshitemo’ and ‘nakanaka’ indicate temporary state.

This paper studies the meanings and functions of "ippo" in modern Japanese by investigating practical example sentences. Previous research mainly focuses on the usage of "ippo" as a conjunctive particle in a format of "ippode" connecting to a verb. However, no literature has reported on the usages of "ippo" as a pseudo noun or a postposition. In this paper, the usages of "ippo" are described in the three cases of meanings and functions: (1) pseudo noun, (2) postposition, and (3) conjunctive particle. The results of the study are presented as follows. First, when "ippo" is used as a pseudo noun, two different meanings are considered, which are "one direction" and "one side". In both meanings, "ippo" represents a space indicated by a front noun and "N+ippo" takes several cases. In this case, "N+ippo" functions as a pseudo noun. Second, when "ippo" is used as a postposition, it implies a different view from a point indicated by a front noun. In this case, the form of "ippo" is only limited to "N+ippode" or "N+ippo", and then "N+ippo" functions as a postposition. Third, when "ippo" is used as a conjunctive particle, it represents a different aspect from a point indicated by a front verb. In this case, the form of "ippo" is limited to "V+ippode" or "V+ippo", and then "V+ippo" functions as a conjunctive particle. In conclusion, "ippo" is used as a postposition or a conjunctive particle, although its basic function is a pseudo noun and it represents a space in modern Japanese. As a postposition or a conjunctive particle, "ippo" shows significant changes in both aspects of formats and meanings.