Japanese: A Linguistic Introduction

Description

This comprehensive introduction to the Japanese language consists of six parts. Following the introductory section, it explores the Japanese lexicon, grammatical foundations, major clause types, clause linkage, and language usage. The discussion of formal and structural properties of Japanese such as sound structure, vocabulary and grammar assist readers as they gain insight into historical and sociocultural aspects of Japanese; some are compared with those of English-speaking nations. An ideal choice for instructors, the book includes twenty-eight chapters, sufficient for approximately ninety hours of hands-on instruction. Each topic has been rigorously selected based on the author's experience of more than two decades teaching Japanese linguistics. The book's breadth and depth make it highly appropriate for learners of the Japanese language, for linguistics students interested in Japanese, and for researchers interested in Japanese linguistics. Online resources include exercises and supplementary multimedia materials to enhance the reader's comprehension and enjoyment. Cover Preface Part I - Introduction 1. Typological and historical overview 2. Dialects 3. Sound system 4. Writing system Part II - Lexicon 5. Vocabulary 6. Word structure Part III - Grammatical foundations 7. Grammatical relations and case marking 8. Subjects and topics 9. Tense, aspect, and taxis Part IV - Major clause types 10. Measurement and comparison 11. Causatives 12. Passives 13. Benefactives 14. Noun modification and complementation 15. Nominalization Part V - Clause linkage 16. Temporal clauses 17. Causal and concessive clauses 18. Conditional clauses Part IV - Pragmatics (language usage) 19. Speech acts 20. Politeness and honorifics I 21. Politeness and honorifics II 22. Speech style shift 23. Sentence-final particles 24. Modality and evidentiality 25. Backchanneling 26. Demonstratives 27. Represented speech 28. Gendered language References