Explorations in Japanese Sociolinguistics
Author | : Leo Loveday |
Publisher | : John Benjamins Publishing |
Total Pages | : 167 |
Release | : 1986-01-01 |
ISBN-10 | : 9789027279330 |
ISBN-13 | : 9027279330 |
Rating | : 4/5 (30 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Explorations in Japanese Sociolinguistics provides a treasure of information on the Japanese language and the social and cultural system it has developed and is embedded in. To the non-specialist, it opens an unknown world. To the specialist it offers theoretical and methodological perspectives aimed at avoiding the interference of myth and musing with accurate characterizations. A general introduction on Japanese sociolinguistics is followed by two case studies, one on the ethnography of ritual and address at a Japanese wedding reception, and one on the pragmatics of Japanese donatory verbs. The final chapter discusses cross-cultural contrasts and the danger of semiotic schism in Japanese-Western interaction.