Tag: (E) ne ね

(1994) English, Polish, Japanese – Cultural scripts


Wierzbicka, Anna (1994). ‘Cultural scripts’: A new approach to the study of cross-cultural communication. In Martin Pütz (Ed.), Language contact and language conflict (pp. 69-87). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI: 10.1075/z.71.04wei [sic]

According to Edward Hall, writing in 1983, one element lacking in the cross-cultural field was the existence of adequate models that enable us to gain more insight into the processes going on inside people while they are thinking and communicating. It is the purpose of the present paper to develop and validate a model of the kind that Hall is calling for. The model developed here, which can be called the “cultural script  model”, offers a framework within which both the differences in the ways of communicating and the underlying differences in the ways of thinking can be fruitfully and rigorously explored. It is shown how cultural scripts can be stated and how they can be justified; this is done with particular reference to Anglo, Japanese, and Polish cultural norms.


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