Modern Japanese “Role Language” (Yakuwarigo): fictionalised orality in Japanese literature and popular culture

Authors

  • Mihoko Teshigawara Komazawa University Author
  • Satoshi Kinsui Osaka University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v5i1.37

Keywords:

Role Language, Japanese, Linguistic Stereotypes, Popular Culture, Character Types, Fictionalised Orality

Abstract

An emerging field of research in Japanese linguistics examines the association between types of characters portrayed and their spoken language features in fiction, popular culture (e.g., manga [comic books] and anime [animated cartoons]), and beyond (the Internet). Sets of spoken language features (vocabulary and grammar) and phonetic characteristics (intonation and accent patterns) psychologically associated with particular character types are termed “role language” (yakuwarigo) in Author 2 (2003). This study seeks to introduce non-Japanese readers to the expanding research on role language in Japanese. It gives an overview of this new field, drawing on key literature (Author 2, 2003, 2008b) and related research on literature, popular culture, and Internet resources in Japanese and other languages. Through an examination of role language and its origins in Japanese, it will be shown that role language is used to characterise minor characters in a story in order to highlight the main characters, which require more elaborate rendering. Analyses of some established character types are also discussed and crosslinguistic studies of role language in Japanese and other languages are reviewed. Similarities and differences across languages are noted, as well as possible problems role language poses for learners of Japanese.

Author Biographies

  • Mihoko Teshigawara, Komazawa University
    Mihoko Teshigawara is Associate Professor in the Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Komazawa University, Tokyo, Japan. She studies the phonetic correlates of vocal stereotypes of good and bad characters in Japanese culture, using anime voices. Her most recent publication is ‘Vocal expressions of emotions and personalities in Japanese anime’ in Emotions of the Human Voice, Vol. III: Culture and Perception, edited by K. Izdebski (Plural Publishing, 2009).
  • Satoshi Kinsui, Osaka University
    Satoshi Kinsui is Professor of Japanese linguistics at the Graduate School of Letters, Osaka University, Japan. His first publication on ‘role language’ (yakuwarigo), Vācharu Nihongo Yakuwarigo no Nazo (The enigma of virtual Japanese role language), Iwanami, 2003, intrigued many other researchers in Japanese linguistics and beyond, leading to the development of this emerging research field. He has also published numerous books and journal articles on traditional Japanese linguistics.

Published

2012-07-12

How to Cite

Teshigawara, M., & Kinsui, S. (2012). Modern Japanese “Role Language” (Yakuwarigo): fictionalised orality in Japanese literature and popular culture. Sociolinguistic Studies, 5(1), 37-58. https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v5i1.37

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