Asano, Yuko (1998). Evidentiality and indirectness in Japanese. Master’s thesis, Australian National University.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2002) Japanese, English – Indirectness
Asano, Yuko (2002). How to be indirect in Japanese – A cultural script approach. RASK (International Journal of Language and Communication), 17. 23-51. PDF (open access)
Although Japanese and English have a large variety of indirect expressions, they often use them in different proportions, which leads to different communicative styles. This paper investigates certain indirectness phenomena observed in sentence-final forms in Japanese from the perspective of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) theory. It combines NSM theory with Kamio’s theory of territory of information. Akio Kamio used this theory to specify the relationship between utterance forms and the notion of territory of information. As he points out, there are cases where the principles of the theory can be violated; it seems that such violations are more or less culturally determined. This paper particularly focuses on such cases and provides a cross-cultural analysis of Japanese and English, making use of contrastive data from both languages.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2003) Japanese – Epistemic modality
Asano, Yuko (2003). A semantic analysis of epistemic modality in Japanese. PhD thesis, Australian National University.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2008) Japanese – Tag questions
Asano, Yuko (2008). Semantic analysis of tag questions in Japanese: Deshoo and janai ka. In Timothy Jowan Curnow (Ed.), Selected papers from the 2007 Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society. http://www.als.asn.au. PDF (open access)
This paper presents a semantic analysis of two Japanese expressions used when the speaker requires confirmation: deshoo and janai ka. These words are often used in similar situations and interpreted as tag questions in English of the type 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 to clarify the meanings of deshoo and janai ka. 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 framework of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) theory. Importantly, it proposes new explications in terms of semantic primitives. The proposed semantic formulas clarify the differences between the expressions, and serve as practical tools indicating criteria that can assist in choosing an appropriate word for a given situation.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2009) Japanese – Epistemic markers
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko (2009). A semantic analysis of Japanese epistemic markers: Chigainai and hazuda. Language Sciences, 31(5), 837-852. DOI: 10.1016/j.langsci.2009.02.002
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 framework 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.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2010) Japanese – Evidentials
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko (2010). Semantic analysis of evidential markers in Japanese: Rashii, yooda and sooda. Functions of Language, 17(2), 153-180. DOI: 10.1075/fol.17.2.01asa
This paper investigates the semantics of three Japanese evidential markers: らしい rashii, ようだ yooda and そうだ sooda. 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 the definitions apply equally well to other evidential markers.
This study is the first explication of the meanings of these markers using the framework of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage theory. By analysing the deficiencies of previously presented definitions, and examining actual usage examples drawn from modern Japanese literature, the article applies NSM methodology to explicate the meanings of らしい rashii, ようだ yooda and そうだ sooda. The meanings of each expression are illustrated by cognitive scenarios such as ‘I think I can say something like this about X’, or ‘I think this about X at the moment’. The resulting semantic formulas clarify the differences between the three expressions. They also have potential for assisting second language learners in decisions about how to use the three terms.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2011) Japanese – Evidentials
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko, & Cavanagh, Rob (2011). Semantic invariance and variance in linguistic analyses. In Jan Wright (Ed.), Researching across boundaries: AARE International Research in Education Conference proceedings. Hobart: Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE). http://www.aare.edu.au/publications-database.php. PDF (open access)
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: らしい rashii, そうだ sooda and って tte.
The raw data for this study are the meanings of らしい rashii, そうだ sooda and って 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 original 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.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2011) Japanese – Tag questions
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko (2011). An analysis of three Japanese tags: Ne, yone, and daroo. Pragmatics and Cognition, 19(3), 448-475. DOI: 10.1075/pc.19.3.04asa
This paper presents an analysis of three Japanese words: ne, yone, and daroo. 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 to clarify the meanings of ne, yone, and daroo. 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 formulas clarify the differences between the three expressions and serve as practical tools indicating criteria that can assist in choosing an appropriate word for a given situation.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2012) Japanese – Cultural key words
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko (2012). Expression of kawaii (‘cute’): Gender reinforcement of young Japanese female school children. In Jan Wright (Ed.), Joint AARE APERA International Conference Proceedings. Sydney: Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE). http://www.aare.edu.au/publications-database.php.
Abstract:
This paper examines the Japanese cultural key word kawaii ‘cute’. 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. Teachers frequently use kawaii to show positive feelings towards objects in the classroom. Girls, too, are primary users of the word, which suggests they are acquiring kawaii as an index of female gender identity. From a linguistic perspective, kawaii is not lexicalized in other languages. While English speakers may say cute for various social actions, scholars suggest that kawaii is tied to empathy and relationships.
NSM was used to explicate the exact meaning of kawaii for non-Japanese speakers. The analysis indicates that the core meaning of kawaii is linked to the 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 that 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.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2013) Japanese – Cultural key words
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko (2013). Understanding Japanese culture through a semantic analysis of kawaii ‘cute’, itai ‘pitiful’ and ita-kawaii ‘pitifully trying to be cute’. In John Henderson, Marie-Ève Ritz, & Celeste Rodríguez Louro (Eds.), Proceedings of the 2012 Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society. https://sites.google.com/site/als2012uwa/proceedings.
Abstract:
This paper examines the three Japanese words kawaii ‘cute’, itai ‘pitiful’ and ita‐kawaii ‘pitifully trying to be cute’. Japanese women frequently say kawaii to show positive feelings towards objects or people. However, too much kawaii is considered undesirable. A compound word, ita‐kawaii, is used to describe women who dress or wear make‐up in an overly kawaii way. Especially when older women try to look kawaii, they are criticized as itai, or ita‐kawaii.
From a linguistic perspective, kawaii, itai, and ita‐kawaii are not lexicalized in other languages. Although the kawaii phenomenon has been thoroughly discussed by many scholars, there has been no rigorous semantic analysis of these three words. In this study, NSM is used to explicate the exact meaning of kawaii, itai, and ita‐kawaii. The analysis indicates that the meaning of itai and ita‐kawaii is related to the social norm that criticizes someone for being conceited. The kawaii and ita‐kawaii syndrome reveals a Japanese cultural characteristic enforcing people not to be out of place in society.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2014) Japanese – Cultural key words
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko (2014). Linguistic manifestation of gender reinforcement through the use of the Japanese term kawaii. Gender and Language, 8(3), 341-359.
DOI: 10.1558/genl.v8i3.341
Abstract:
This paper examines the Japanese cultural key word kawaii. Japanese women frequently use kawaii to express positive feelings towards objects or people. Scholars suggest that Japanese women are making kawaii part of their gender identity. From a linguistic perspective, kawaii is not lexicalized in other languages. Although the kawaii phenomenon has been thoroughly examined, there has been no rigorous semantic analysis.
In this study, NSM is used 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.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2014) Japanese – Feelings
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko (2014). Japanese interpretations of “pain” and the use of psychomimes. International Journal of Language and Culture, 1(2), 216-238.
DOI: 10.1075/ijolc.1.2.05asa
Abstract:
This chapter examines six Japanese psychomimes — ズキズキ zuki-zuki, キリキリ kiri-kiri, しくしくshiku-shiku, チクチク chiku-chiku, ヒリヒリ hiri-hiri, and がんがん gan-gan — that express subtle differences in pain-related states or sensations. It is generally recognized 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. There is also the problem that each Japanese expression can correspond to several English verbs.
This study uses NSM to explicate the meaning of the six psychomimes. 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.
More information:
Reissued as:
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko (2016). Japanese interpretations of “pain” and the use of psychomimes. In Cliff Goddard & Zhengdao Ye (Eds.), “Happiness” and “pain” across languages and cultures (pp. 87-108). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI: 10.1075/bct.84.05asa
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2016) Japanese – Mental states
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko (2016). Being ‘indecisive’ in Japanese: Analysis of kana, darou ka and (n) janai ka. Studies in Language, 40(1), 63-92.
DOI: 10.1075/sl.40.1.03asa
Abstract:
Japanese speakers are often characterized as ‘indecisive’. The indecision is indicated by epistemic markers being frequently added to express doubt. The sentence-final particle kana shows an indecisive attitude and is usually translated into English as I wonder or maybe. There are other similar Japanese expressions, for example, darou ka and (n) janai ka. Both expressions represent uncertainty and are generally interpreted as I wonder or maybe. Although kana, darou ka and (n) janai ka are often treated as synonyms, they are not necessarily interchangeable.
The aim of this study is to define these Japanese epistemic markers using NSM. 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.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2017) Japanese – Cultural key words
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko (2017). Kawaii discourse: The semantics of a Japanese cultural keyword and its social elaboration. In Carsten Levisen & Sophia Waters (Eds.), Cultural keywords in discourse (pp. 211-234). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
DOI: 10.1075/pbns.277.09asa
Abstract:
Taking its starting point in the Japanese cultural key word kawaii (roughly, ‘cute’), this chapter explores contemporary Japanese social discourse. Using NSM to explicate kawaii, the two kawaii compounds ita-kawaii and otona-kawaii and the related cultural key words itai and otona, it breaks new ground and increases our understanding of the conceptual basis of kawaii and its elaborations in discourse. A view on Japanese socialization and gendered discourse is simultaneously developed, and the value of ‘being kawaii’ is being scrutinized through the stability and innovations of kawaii in discourse.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2017) Japanese, Korean – Evidentiality
Asano-Cavagh, Yuko & Lee, Duck-Young (2017). NSM Approach による類義語の意味分析: 日韓の伝達表現を中心に [NSM-based approach to meanings of synonyms: Focusing on hearsay markers in Japanese and Korean]. 日本語學硏究 [Japanese Language Association of Korea], 54, 87-106.
DOI: 10.14817/jlak.2017.54.87 / Open access
Abstract:
The aim of this study is to analyse the evidential markers そうだ souda, らしい rashii and って tte in Japanese and 대 tay and 니까 nikka in Korean from an NSM perspective. そうだ souda, らしい rashii and って tte are used in similar situations and are often translated in English as ‘he/she says’, or ‘I heard’. Although these hearsay markers are considered synonyms, they are not necessarily interchangeable. There are subtle differences that cannot be captured by a dictionary or conventional semantic analysis. The current study shows that the NSM approach is more beneficial than previous research in that it can describe the (dis)similarities of synonyms in a simple and accurate fashion. The study then analyses the Korean markers 대 tay and 니까 nikka, and compares the results with those obtained for the Japanese evidentials. It is demonstrated that the NSM approach is capable of dealing with the semantic properties of markers/expressions in different languages, and that definitions facilitate the understanding of each expression and enable the comparison of meanings cross-linguistically.
More information:
Written in Japanese. The first authors’ name is reported here as per the (incorrect) spelling used in the paper.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2019) English, Italian, Japanese – Emotions
Farese, Gian Marco; Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko (2018/19). Analysing nostalgia in cross-linguistic perspective. Philology, 4, 213-241.
DOI: https://doi.org/103726/PHIL042019.6
Abstract:
This paper presents a contrastive semantic analysis of the English nostalgia, the Italian nostalgia and the Japanese 懐かしい natsukashii adopting the methodology of the NSM approach. It is argued that: (i) emotion terms of different languages reflect different and culture-specific conceptualizations of human feelings; (ii) the Anglo conceptualization of feelings is not valid for all cultures; and (iii) linguistic analysis is central to the analysis of human feelings. The paper challenges the claim made by some psychologists that the English word nostalgia expresses a feeling that is pancultural and criticizes the use of English emotion terms as the basis for discussions on human feelings.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2019) Japanese – Ethnopsychology and personhood
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko (2019). Inochi and tamashii: Incursions into Japanese ethnopsychology. In Bert Peeters (Ed.),
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315180670-2
Abstract:
Japanese has several personhood terms that lack equivalents in other languages. Two such terms are inochi and tamashii, neither of which has been investigated. In English, inochi is usually translated as life. However, this poses significant issues since the modern English word life is polysemous. Many of its meanings cannot be translated into Japanese by means of the word inochi, which has its own and contextually different meanings. Similarly, tamashii is often translated as soul but this term also has multiple interpretations in the source language.
This chapter explores the meaning of inochi and tamashii using NSM. The results of the analysis indicate a core component of inochi is ‘this something can be a part of someone one time, not many times’. The results also show that a fundamental meaning of tamashii is ‘this something can be a part of someone many times’ and ‘this something cannot die’.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2020) Japanese – Cultural key words
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko; Farese, Gian Marco (2020). In staunch pursuit: The semantics of the Japanese terms shūkatsu ‘job hunting’ and konkatsu ‘marriage partner hunting’. In Bert Peeters, Kerry Mullan, & Lauren Sadow (Eds.), Studies in ethnopragmatics, cultural semantics, and intercultural communication: Vol. 2. Meaning and culture (pp. 17-33). Singapore: Springer.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9975-7_2
Abstract:
This chapter presents an analysis of two Japanese compound words that share a common suffix. The words are 就活 shūkatsu ‘job hunting’ and 婚活 konkatsu ‘marriage partner hunting’. It is perhaps not entirely unexpected that the English glosses fall short of conveying the significant cultural context behind them. The shared suffix, 活 katsu, comes from the Japanese word 活動 katsudō, which means ‘activity’. 活 katsu implies a high level of engagement and dedication as well as a degree of obligation or a sense of duty associated with the task. For instance, 就活 shūkatsu implies single-mindedness regarding the activity of job-seeking, requiring deliberate effort from the participant. Similarly, 婚活 konkatsu implies that total devotion to the act of finding a marriage partner.
婚活 konkatsu, unlike 就活 shūkatsu, has drawn some attention from scholars, but no accurate semantic analysis of either has been carried out thus far. This study uses the framework of the NSM approach to clarify the meaning of these two Japanese compound words. The analysis reveals that the people engaged in the activities they refer to are fearful of not attaining their goal and that the use of the suffix 活katsu in the Japanese word formation process is therefore semantically rooted. The analysis also assists in identifying and elaborating on some of the contradictions and complexities of modern Japanese society.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2020) Japanese – Discourse Particles
Asano-Cavanagh, Yuko (2020). Lost in translation: A semantic analysis of no da in Japanese. In Bromhead, Helen and Zhengdao Ye (eds.). Meaning, Life and Culture. Canberra: ANU Press pp 229-246.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.22459/MLC.2020.12 (Open Access)
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
