The Interactional Function of Japanese Interactive Markers yo and sa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/lhs.v5i3.329Keywords:
attitude, interactive markers, involvement, monopolistic, spoken discourseAbstract
This study investigates the interactional function of Japanese interactive markers yo and sa in conjunction with the notion of involvement, and sheds light on some issues of verbal exchange in spoken discourse. The study argues that these markers commonly share the function of signalling the speaker’s attitude of inviting the hearer’s involvement in a ‘monopolistic’ manner, by which the speaker is committed to enhance his/her position as a deliverer of the contents/feeling conveyed in the utterance. Further, each marker indicates the speaker’s monopolistic attitude in its unique way: yo signals the speaker’s monopolistic attitude of ensuring the hearer’s understanding of the contents/feeling conveyed in the utterance, while sa signals the speaker’s monopolistic attitude of presenting the contents/feeling conveyed in the utterance as a matter of course for him/her. Based on these functions, their co-occurrence restrictions with modal expressions and their use in social contexts are also discussed.
References
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Squires, T. (1994) A discourse analysis of the Japanese particle sa. Pragmatics 4 (1): 1–29.
Uyeno, T. (1971) A Study of Japanese Modality: A Performative Analysis of Sentence Particles. PhD Dissertation. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan.
Watanabe, M. (1968) Shuujoshi no bunpooron-teki ichi (The grammatical status of Japanese sentence-final particles). Kokugogaku (Studies in the Japanese Language) 72: 127–135.
Arndt, H. and Janney, W. R. (1987) InterGrammar: Toward an Integrated Model of Verbal, Prosodic and Kinesic Choices in Speech. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Besnier, N. (1994) Involvement in linguistic practice: An ethnographic appraisal. Journal of Pragmatics 22 (3–4): 279–299. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0378-2166(94)90113-9
Cheng, C. (1987) Shuujoshi – hanashite to kikite no ninshiki no gyappu o umeru tame no bunsetsu-ji (Sentence-final particles – sentence-final particles for closing the gap between the speaker’s and the hearer’s recognition). Nihongogaku (Japanese Linguistics) 6 (10): 93–109.
Cook, M. H. (1990) The sentence-final particle ‘ne’ as a tool for cooperation in Japanese conversation. In H. Hoji (ed.) Japanese/Korean Linguistics 1, 29–44. Stanford, NY: CSLI Publications.
Daneš, F. (1994) Involvement with language and in language. Journal of Pragmatics 22 (3–4): 251–264. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0378-2166(94)90111-2
Hayashi, A. (2000) Shuujoshi ‘yo’ ga motsu ‘shitsureisa’ no doai (The degree of impoliteness yo shows). Mie Daigaku Ryuugakusee Sentaa Kiyoo (Bulletin of Centre for International Students, Mie University) 2: 39–51.
Ide, S. (1982) Japanese sociolinguistics: Politeness and women’s language. Lingua 57: 357– 385. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0024-3841(82)90009-2
Izuhara, E. (2001) ‘Ne’ to ‘yo’ no sai-saikoo (A study of particles ‘ne’ and ‘yo’). Aichi Gakuin Daigaku Kyooyoobu Kiyoo (The Journal of Aichi Gakuin University, Humanities & Sciences) 49 (1): 35–49.
Johnson, Y. (2003) Modality and the Japanese Language. Ann Arbor, MI: The Centre for Japanese Studies, the University of Michigan.
Katagiri, Y. (2007) Dialogue functions of Japanese sentence-final particles ‘yo’ and ‘ne’. Journal of Pragmatics 39 (7): 1313–1323. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2007.02.013
Lee, D.Y. (2002) The function of the zero particle with special reference to spoken Japanese. Journal of Pragmatics 34 (6): 645–682. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-2166(02)00042-5
Lee, D.Y. (2007) Involvement and Japanese interactive particles ne and yo. Journal of Pragmatics 39 (2): 363–388. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2006.06.004
Martin, S. (1975) A Reference Grammar of Japanese. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Matsumura, A. (1971) Nihon Bunpoo Daijiten (Japanese Grammar Large Dictionary). Tokyo: Meiji Shoin.
Masuoka, T. (1991) Modaritii no Bunpoo (The Grammar of Modality). Tokyo: Kuroshio Shuppan.
Matsuoka, M. (2003) Danwajoo ni okeru shuujoshi yo no kinoo (The function of the sentence-final particle yo in spoken discourse). Kotoba to Bunka (Issues in Language and Culture, Nagoya University) 4: 53–69.
McGloin, H. N. (1990) Sex differences and sentence-final particles. In S. Ide. and N. H. McGloin (eds) Aspects of Japanese Women’s Language, 23–41. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers.
Miyazaki, K. (1993) Daroo no danwa kinoo ni tsuite (On the function of daroo in discourse). Kokugogaku (Studies in the Japanese Language) 175: 40–53.
Miyazaki, K., Adachi, T., Noda, H., and Takanashi, S. (2002) Modaritii (Modality). Tokyo: Kuroshio Shuppan.
Mizutani, O. and Mizutani, N. (1987) How to Be Polite in Japanese. Tokyo: The Japan Times.
Moriyama, T. (1989) Ninshiki no muudo to sono shuuhen (Epistemic mood and its surroundings). In Y. Nitta. and T. Masuoka (eds) Nihongo no Modaritii (Japanese Modality), 57–120. Tokyo: Kuroshio Shuppan.
Morita, E. (2005) Negotiation of Contingent Talk: The Japanese Interactional Particles Ne and Sa. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Nihongo Kyooiku Gakkai (1987) Nihongo Kyooiku Jiten (Japanese Education Dictionary). Tokyo: Taishuukan Shoten.
Nishikawa, K. (2000) Shuujoshi ‘yo’ shiyoo ni kansuru gakushuusha no ninshiki (Awareness among learners concerning the use of final particle yo). Nanzan Daigaku Kokusai Kyooiku Sentaa Kiyoo (The Bulletin of the Centre for International Education, Nanzan University) 1: 195–207.
Saji, K. (1957) Shuujoshi no kinoo (The function of sentence-final particles). Kokugo Kokubun (Japanese Language and Literature) 26 (7): 461–469.
Sperber, D. and Wilson, D. (2001) Relevance: Communication and Cognition. Oxford/ Cambridge: Blackwell Publishers.
Squires, T. (1994) A discourse analysis of the Japanese particle sa. Pragmatics 4 (1): 1–29.
Uyeno, T. (1971) A Study of Japanese Modality: A Performative Analysis of Sentence Particles. PhD Dissertation. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan.
Watanabe, M. (1968) Shuujoshi no bunpooron-teki ichi (The grammatical status of Japanese sentence-final particles). Kokugogaku (Studies in the Japanese Language) 72: 127–135.
Published
2012-02-07
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Ogi, N. (2012). The Interactional Function of Japanese Interactive Markers yo and sa. Linguistics and the Human Sciences, 5(3), 329-349. https://doi.org/10.1558/lhs.v5i3.329
