Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T10:02:17.220Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Shifting contexts: The sociolinguistic significance of nominalization in Japanese television news

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 February 2009

Senko K. Maynard
Affiliation:
Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, maynard@rci.rutgers.edu

Abstract

This article examines nominalization in Japanese television news programs with the aim of identifying its sociolinguistic meaning as it relates to context. Given that such programs create shifting contexts available for observation, approximately five hours of news programs (aired in Tokyo in 1992) are examined. The study finds that the use of nominalization varies between two related but different speech contexts identified as “TV Talk” and “TV Announcements.” The significance for the use of nominalization in Japanese is explored, adopting an interdisciplinary approach, by appealing to the critical socio-cultural concepts of uchi ‘inside’ and soto ‘outside’. (Context, Japanese, nominalization, media discourse, sociocultural concepts)

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bachnik, Jane M (1994) Uchi/soto Challenging our conceptualizations of self, social order, and language In Bachnik, & Quinn, (eds), 337Google Scholar
Bachnik, Jane M, & Quinn, Charles J Jr, (1994), eds Situated meaning Inside and outside in Japanese self, society, and language Princeton, NJPrinceton University PressGoogle Scholar
Bizen, Tooru (1990) “Koto da” no meishijutsugobun m kansuru ichi koosatsu [A perspective on the nominal predicate sentence using koto da] Nihongogaku Ronsetsu Shiryoo 27 172–78Google Scholar
Blom, Jan-Petter, & Gumperz, John J (1972) Social meaning in linguistic structure Code-switching in Norway In Gumperz, John J & Hymes, Dell (eds ), Directions in sociolinguistics, 407–34 New YorkHoltGoogle Scholar
Duranti, Alessandro (1992) Language in context and language as context The Samoan respect vocabulary In Duranti, & Goodwin, (eds ), 7799Google Scholar
Duranti, Alessandro, & Goodwin, Charles (1992), eds Rethinking context Language as an interactive phenomenon Cambridge & New YorkCambridge University PressGoogle Scholar
Firth, John R (1957) Papers in linguistics OxfordOxford University PressGoogle Scholar
Fiske, John (1987) Television culture LondonMethuenGoogle Scholar
Givón, Talmy (1979) On understanding grammar New YorkAcademic PressGoogle Scholar
Goffman, Erving (1981) Forms of talk PhiladelphiaUniversity of Pennsylvania PressGoogle Scholar
Goodwin, Charles, & Duranti, Alessandro (1992) Rethinking context An introduction In Duranti, & Goodwin, (eds), 142Google Scholar
Gumperz, John J (1982a) Discourse strategies Cambridge & New YorkCambridge University PressCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gumperz, John J (1982b), ed Language and social identity Cambridge & New YorkCambridge University PressGoogle Scholar
Halliday, Michael A K (1973) Explorations in the functions of language LondonArnoldGoogle Scholar
Jorden, Eleanor (1963) Beginning Japanese, Part 2 New HavenYale University PressGoogle Scholar
Kuno, Susumu (1973) Nthon bunpoo kenkyuu [Studies in Japanese grammar] TokyoTaishuukanGoogle Scholar
Langacker, Ronald W (1987) Nouns and verbs Language 63 5394Google Scholar
Levin, Harry, & Garrett, Peter (1990) Sentence structure and formality Language in Society 19 511–20Google Scholar
Malinowski, Bronislaw (1923) The problem of meaning in primitive languages In Ogden, Charles K & Richards, Ivor A (eds ), The meaning of meaning, 296336New YorkHarcourt BraceGoogle Scholar
Maynard, Senko K (1992) Cognitive and pragmatic messages of a syntactic choice A case of the Japanese commentary predicate n(o) da Text 12 563613Google Scholar
Maynard, Sebko K (1993) Discourse modality Subjectivity, emotion and voice in the Japanese language AmsterdamBenjaminsGoogle Scholar
Maynard, Sebko K (1994) Commentary questions in Japanese Cognitive sources and pragmatic resources Studies in Language 19 447–87CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maynard, Sebko K (1995) Review of Bachnik & Quinn 1994 Language in Society 24 611–14Google Scholar
McGloin, Naomi H (1983) Some politeness strategies in Japanese In Miyagawa, Shigeru & Kitagawa, Chisato (eds), Studies in Japanese language use, 127–45 EdmontonLinguistic ResearchGoogle Scholar
McGloin, Naomi H (1984) Danwa bunshoo ni okeru nodesu no kinoo [Functions of nodesu in discourse] Gengo 13 1254–60Google Scholar
Mikami, Akira (1972) Gendaigohoo josetsu [An introduction to the grammar of modern Japanese] TokyoKuroshio Shuppan [Originally published in 1953]Google Scholar
Miura, Tsutomu (1976) Nihongo wa doo yuu kotoba ka [What kind of language is Japanese?] TokyoKoodanshaGoogle Scholar
Noda, Mari (1992) Relation maintenance in the discourse of disagreement Paper presented at the Association for Asian Studies Annual Meeting, Washington, DCGoogle Scholar
Quinn, Charles J Jr, (1994) Uchi/soto Tip of a semiotic iceberg? ‘Inside’ and ‘outside’ knowledge in the grammar of Japanese In Bachnik, & Quinn, (eds), 247–94Google Scholar
Saji, Keizoo (1991) Nihongo bunpoo no kenkyuu [Studies of Japanese grammar] Kasukabe, Japan Hitsuji ShobooGoogle Scholar
Saji, Keizoo (1993) “No” no honshitsu [The essence of no] Nihongogaku 12 11414Google Scholar
Sapir, Edward (1921) Language New YorkHarcourt BraceGoogle Scholar
Shimozaki, Minoru (1981) No dearu construction and a theory of cohesion Sophia Linguistica 7 116–24Google Scholar
Talbot, Mary (1992) The construction of gender in a teenage magazine In Fairclough, Norman (ed ), Critical language awareness, 174–99 LondonLongmanGoogle Scholar
Tanomura, Tadaharu (1990) Gendai nihongo no bunpoo [Grammar of modern Japanese], Vol 1 “No da” no imi to yoohoo [The meaning and use of no da] TokyoIzumi ShornGoogle Scholar
Tokieda, Motoki (1941) Kokugogaku genron [Principles of Japanese language studies] TokyoIwanamiGoogle Scholar
Tokieda, Motoki (1951) Taijin kankei o koosei suru joshi, jodooshi [Particles constructing interpersonal relations] Kokugo Kokubun 20 9110Google Scholar