Asc Page 59 – nsm-approach.net

(2006) Creoles (Iberoromance) – NSM primes

Bartens, Angela, & Sandström, Niclas (2006). Semantic primes in Atlantic Iberoromance-based creoles: Superstrate continuity or innovation? Estudios de sociolingüística, 7, 31-54. DOI: 10.1558/sols.v7i1.31

Much of the literature on Creole languages has focused on their genesis. In this study, we take the Natural Semantic Metalanguage framework as a starting point for yet another genesis-oriented comparative study of five Iberoromance-based Creoles, Kabuverdianu, São-Tomense, Angolar, Papiamentu and Palenquero. The proposal of the NSM framework is to establish a Natural Semantic Metalanguage consisting of a set of semantic primes common to and translatable into all languages. Whether these semantic primes consist of items retained from the lexifier language, or whether they have been taken from the sub- and/or adstrate can be argued to be of certain interest to the debate on the origin and nature of Creole languages. Our results confirm our initial hypothesis that the semantic primes of Creole languages are in their majority derived from the corresponding lexifier language. Differences in the exact amount of non-lexifier-derived primes roughly correspond to the amount of non-lexifier items in the Creole’s lexicon at large.


Sound application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner

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(2007) Italian – Diminutives

Bartens, Angela, & Sandström, Niclas (2007). Italian diminutives in the light of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage. In Juhani Härmä, Eva Havu, Mervi Helkkula, Meri Larjavaara, Mari Lehtinen, & Ulla Tuomarla (Eds.), SILF 2005. Actes du XXIXe Colloque International de Linguistique Fonctionnelle (pp. 31-36). Helsinki: Département des langues romanes de l’Université de Helsinki.

In a previous study (Bartens & Sandström 2006), the authors formulated a number of categories into which the usage of the diminutive in both Italian and Spanish seems to fall. Since the diminutive does not constitute a part of the semantic core, it was supposed to be explicable in terms of NSM. Based on our results, it is suggested that, although culturally seemingly central to both of these Mediterranean cultures, the usages of the diminutive are more diffuse and detailed in Spanish than they are in Italian. By using the semantic primes that operate in the NSM theory, we aim at explicating the various uses of the Italian diminutive.


Sound application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner

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(2013) Spanish, English – ‘Degrad verbs’

Barrios Rodríguez, María Auxiliadora, & Goddard, Cliff (2013). ‘Degrad verbs’ in Spanish and English: Collocations, lexical functions and contrastive NSM semantic analysis. Functions of Language, 20(2), 219-249. DOI: 10.1075/fol.20.2.04bar

The Lexical Function Degrad is a device used in Meaning-Text Theory (MTT) to select the appropriate verb for expressing ‘to become permanently worse or bad’ in combination with different nouns. For example, in English one says that fruit rots, milk goes off, shoes wear out, flowers wilt, and iron rusts; thus, the verbs rot, go off, wear out, etc. can all be considered “values” of Degrad. Comparing these verbs with their translation equivalents in Spanish shows that verbs in the two languages have somewhat different collocational possibilities. Are such collocational differences arbitrary or do they result from subtle meaning differences between the translation equivalents? In this study we undertake a contrastive semantic analysis of a selection of words in the Degrad domain, using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) method of semantic explication. We conclude that collocational preferences are indeed semantically motivated, but at the same time we recognize that Degrad is a valuable lexicological tool for verb classification, as well as for coordinating translation equivalents across languages at an approximate level. The paper aims to encourage productive engagement between two well developed approaches to lexical semantics, while at the same time demonstrating the explanatory power of the detailed “micro-semantic” analysis enabled by the NSM methodology.


Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners

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(1999) English – Emotions

Bardzokas, Chrisovalandis & Dirven, René (1999). Conceptualizations in the domain of ‘happiness’ in English: The value of explications and cultural scripts. RASK (International Journal of Language and Communication), 9-10, 157-188.

Open access

Abstract:

In English, conceptualization within the domain of happiness involves a great many emotion words that may appear as nouns, adjectives or even verbs and that are often very close in meaning to one another. They can therefore be expected to be defined in highly circular ways in most current dictionaries. This paper investigates whether NSM can meet the requirement of describing each of the concepts in the domain of happiness in English in a non-circular and exhaustive way. One of the most remarkable results of the application of the NSM approach to the eleven happiness-related concepts selected is the very clear delimitation of and distinction between four groups of concepts: imminent states of happiness, “doing forms” of happiness, event-like forms of happiness, and transient states of happiness.

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(1999) English, Greek – ‘Anger’

Bardzokas, Chrisovalandis (1999). The language of anger. MA thesis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

This dissertation offers an analysis of the hotly debated emotion concept of ‘anger’. For the purpose of this analysis, two influential models are put forward: the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (or NSM) as well as the cognitive processes of metaphor and metonymy introduced by Lakoff and Johnson. The results of the research are far from trivial. In terms of emotion analysis, the two models provide insight into the conceptualization of ‘anger’ and, specifically, comparative insight into the English concept of ‘anger’ and the Greek conceptual equivalent expressed in the word thymos. In terms of model evaluation, the two types of analysis yield results that can be readily contrasted and assessed on the basis of the kinds of insight they offer.

A revised version of Chapter 2 of this thesis – the one that specifically engages with the NSM model – has been published as:

Bardzokas, Chrisovalandis (2004). Contrastive semantics of English “anger” and Modern Greek “θymos”. LAUD Working Papers, Series A, General and Theoretical Papers, 582.


Sound application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner

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(2004) English, Greek – ‘Anger’

Bardzokas, Chrisovalandis (2004). Contrastive semantics of English “anger” and Modern Greek “θymos”. LAUD Working Papers, Series A, General and Theoretical Papers, 582. PDF (open access)

The emotion concept of ‘anger’ appears to acquire such enormous proportions in human emotionality that it has sparked off heated debate in relation to its purported universality or its language- and culture-specificity. To portray possible differences between anger-related concepts across languages and cultures, a nuanced and illuminating method of contrasting concepts is needed. The use of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (henceforth NSM) is proposed to this end. The research also carries out the laborious task of testing the applicability of the NSM framework in the investigation of the language of emotions generally. Similar tests involving other emotions have already been conducted by several other scholars; for the purpose of this paper, the implementation of NSM will be attempted in the domain of anger in comparison and contrast to that of Modern Greek θυμός thymos. Both domains are conceptualized in terms of several emotion words. Explications are proposed for the predicative use of the English words angry, mad, furious, and irate, and for the Greek verbs θυμωνομαι thymonomai, νευριάζομαι nevriazomai, εκνευρίζομαι eknevrizomai, and οργιζομαι orgizomai.

This paper builds on Chapter 2 of the author’s MA thesis:

Bardzokas, Chrisovalandis (1999). The language of anger. MA thesis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.


Sound application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner

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(2012) French – Emotions (hate)

Baider, Fabienne (2012). Saillance scalaire et métalangue sémantique naturelle: Le sentiment haine en contexte linguistique et cognitif [Scalar salience and Natural Semantic Metalanguage: Hate in a linguistic and cognitive context]. Études romanes de Brno, 33(2), 171-188. PDF (open access)

This study attempts to provide a Franco-French definition of the emotion called hate / hatred in the NSM language. This is carried out on the basis of oral (questionnaires and interviews) and written (lexicographical definitions, electronic database and newspaper discourse) data in reference to this emotion. We combine the principles elaborated in the Dynamic Model of Meaning Framework (Kecskes 2008) and the concept of saliency (Giora 2003) to suggest the NSM definition and work our data. On the theoretical level, the collected data allow identification of the salient collective and individual features (Kecskes 2008) related to the lexical unit hate within the community under
investigation.

(2012) French – HAINE, COLÈRE

Baider, Fabienne (2012). Haine et colère: Approche socio-cognitive et explicitation en métalangue sémantique naturelle [Hate and anger: A socio-cognitive approach and an explication in Natural Semantic Metalanguage]. In Franck Neveu, Valelia Muni Toke, Peter Blumenthal, Thomas Klingler, Pierluigi Ligas, Sophie Prévost, & Sandra Teston-Bonnard (Eds.), CMLF 2012 – 3e Congrès mondial de linguistique française (pp. 1701-1717). Paris: EDP Sciences. DOI: 10.1051/shsconf/20120100185. PDF (open access)

Written in French.

This study explores the semantic proximity between the two notions of haine ‘hate’ and colère ‘anger’ in European French culture and society. A quick overview of the NSM approach is followed by a presentation of the morphosyntactic differences between the two nouns, in an attempt to identify the first indications of semantic difference. The next step is entirely semantic in nature: a study of the two emotions is undertaken on the basis of oral and written discourse, with reference to the theoretical and methodological principles of the socio-cognitive approach put forward by Rachel Giora and István Kecskes. This finally leads to explications formulated in NSM.


Approximate application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner

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(2014) English, French, Greek (Cyprus) – Emotions

Baider, Fabienne (2014). Bad feelings in context. In Fabienne Baider, & Georgeta Cislaru (Eds.), Linguistic approaches to emotions in context (pp. 189-212). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

DOI: 10.1075/pbns.241.11bai

Abstract:

This study revisits some earlier explications for anger-like words in English and Russian, then calls for the NSM approach to be combined with the socio-cognitive approach advocated by Rachel Giora and Istvan Kecskes. Oral and written data are used to define the salient features of the main hatred- and anger-like words in two languages: French (as spoken in France) and Greek (as spoken on Cyprus). The analysis reveals some differences regarding the referential dimension of the selected words, highlighting the fact that revenge occurs by default with hatred, but not (unlike previously suggested) with anger.  Cypriot Greek μισός misos is equated with English anger, and θυμός thymos with French colère, and explications are proposed for each.

In spite of some good insights and an interesting proposal to bring Giora’s concept of salience to bear on NSM data gathering practices, the paper does not live up to expectation. It remains an open question whether μισός misos can indeed be equated with English anger, and θυμός thymos with French colère. The author’s explications of these terms are problematical in more ways than one.

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Approximate application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner

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(2005) Spanish (Spain) – Sincerity

González Ruiz, Ramón, & Aznárez Mauleón, Mónica (2005). Approximación desde el Metalenguaje Semántico Natural a la semántica y la pragmática de algunas expresiones de sinceridad del español actual [A Natural Semantic Metalanguage approach to the semantics and pragmatics of some expressions of sincerity in Modern Spanish]. In Manuel Casado Velarde, Ramón González Ruiz, & Óscar Loureda Lamas (Eds.), Estudios sobre lo metalingüistico (en español) (pp. 233-256). Frankfurt: Peter Lang.

Written in Spanish.

This study, which deals with “sincerity” in Spanish, focuses on the use of clausal adverbs such as sinceramente ‘sincerely’, honestamente ‘honestly’, francamente ‘frankly’, and of phrases with the verbs hablar ‘speak’ and decir ‘say’ (e.g. hablar/decir con sinceridad, francamente, con el corazón en la mano ‘speak/say [something] with sincerity, frankly, with your heart in your hand’). In addition, the authors look at conditional structures in peripheral positions (e.g. si quieres que te diga la verdad ‘if you want me to tell you the truth’). The study involves an analysis, using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage, of semantic differences between the concepts of sinceridad ‘sincerity’, franqueza ‘frankness’ and honestidad ‘honesty’, and of the pragmatic and discursive functions of these expressions.

For a slightly shorter version of this chapter, see Aznárez Mauleón, Mónica, & González Ruiz, Ramón (2006). Semántica y pragmática de algunas expresiones de sinceridad en español actual.

For a slightly different English version of this chapter, see Aznárez Mauleón, Mónica, & González Ruiz, Ramón (2006), Francamente, el rojo te sienta fatal: Semantics and pragmatics of some expressions of sincerity in present-day Spanish.


Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners

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(2006) Spanish (Spain) – Sincerity

Aznárez Mauleón, Mónica, & González Ruiz, Ramón (2006). Francamente, el rojo te sienta fatal: Semantics and pragmatics of some expressions of sincerity in present-day Spanish. In Bert Peeters (Ed.), Semantic primes and universal grammar: Empirical evidence from the Romance languages (pp. 307-330). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI: 10.1075/slcs.81.19azn

This study, which deals with “sincerity” in Spanish, focuses on the use of clausal adverbs such as sinceramente ‘sincerely’, honestamente ‘honestly’, francamente ‘frankly’, and of phrases with the verbs hablar ‘speak’ and decir ‘say’ (e.g. hablar/decir con sinceridad, francamente, con el corazón en la mano ‘speak/say [something] with sincerity, frankly, with your heart in your hand’). In addition, the authors look at conditional structures in peripheral positions (e.g. si quieres que te diga la verdad ‘if you want me to tell you the truth’). The study involves an analysis, using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage, of semantic differences between the concepts of sinceridad ‘sincerity’, franqueza ‘frankness’ and honestidad ‘honesty’, and of the pragmatic and discursive functions of these expressions.

For a slightly different Spanish version of this chapter, see Aznárez Mauleón, Mónica, & González Ruiz, Ramón (2006). Semántica y pragmática de algunas expresiones de sinceridad en español actual.

For a less comprehensive Spanish version of this chapter, see González Ruiz, Ramón, & Aznárez Mauleón, Mónica (2005), Approximación desde el Metalenguaje Semántico Natural a la semántica y la pragmática de algunas expresiones de sinceridad del español actual.


Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners

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(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

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(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

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(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

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(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

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(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

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(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

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(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.

Open access

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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(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.

Open access

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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(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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