trad 101: languages and cultures of east asia cultural...

Trad 101: Languages and Cultures of East Asia

Cultural Concepts in Language

Expressing Hierarchy in Japanese and Korean

Historical background

Japan

JOMON (10,000 - 300 BCE) - nomadic people known for rope pottery; they lived along the coasts and mostly ate shellfish


Japan

YAYOI (300 BCE – 300 CE) – agriculture introduced; small local clan governments; change in pottery and introduction of an aesthetic value which is still found in Japan today; emergence of Shinto


Japan

KOFUN (YAMATO) (300 – 645) – known for keyshaped tombs (although many were round) where clan leaders were buried


Japan

ASUKA (645 -710) – formation of Japanese state

NARA (710 - 794) – capital moved to Nara, which was modeled after the Chinese city Chang'an; first Japanese texts; the Emperors are Shinto priests (descended from the Sun Goddess) but also promote Buddhism


Japan

HEIAN (794-1185) – capital moved to Heian-kyo (modern Kyoto); Fujiwara clan dominates the Imperial household through marriage politics; art and literature flourish


Japan

KAMAKURA (1185-1333) – beginning of bakufu-court system

MUROMACHI (1333 -1568) – Portuguese arrive in Japan; introduction of guns

EDO (TOKUGAWA) (1600 -1868) – Period of Isolation; Minimal trading with the Dutch and Chinese; very peaceful time due to government control; Neo-Confucian values play a large role at this time as do Neo-Shinto values; four classes (samurai, farmers, craftsmen, merchants) based on (Neo)-Confucianism


Japan

MEIJI (1868 -1912) – Japan's period of isolation ended when Commander Parry showed up; Contact with the West, particularly Germany and England


Japan

TAISHO (1912-1926)

SHOWA (1926-1989)

HEISEI (1989- )

Questions?

Any questions?


Korea

18 BCE-660 CE – The "Three Kingdoms Period" (Pakche, 18 BCE-661 CE; Koguryo, 37 BCE-668 CE; Shilla, 57 BCE-660 CE).


Korea

661 CE -935 CE – Shilla seizes most of the Three Kingdoms

918 CE-1389 CE – Koryo Dynasty; Shilla loses control

− 1392 CE -1910 C E – General Yi Song-gye establishes the Choson Dynasty; Hangul alphabet created (mid 15th c.). Moving printing type invented.


Korea

Japanese Colonization (1910-1945)

Pacific War (1931-1945)

Korean War (1950-1953)

Politeness

English

What kind of expressions do we have to indicate politeness?

We don't have specific verbs or verbal endings, but avoid certain words (swear words)

thanks vs. thank you

welcome vs. you're welcome

'sup vs. nice to meet you/how do you do

Politeness

Japanese

Honorific system can be found as early as the Nara period

Honorific system of the Nara and Heian periods are very different from the modern Japanese Honorific system

The modern honorific system was created during the Meiji period to reflect class system of Tokugawa period

Politeness

Japanese

uchi (/uti/) vs. soto

uchi refers to your in-group and soto to your out-group

your uchi and soto change depending on who you're talking to and what you're talking about

Politeness

Japanese five levels of speech

plain informal

� used with members of your uchi such as family and close friends; and/or you're talking with your uchi about someone of equal or lower status

� declarative verbs end in -u/-ru: yomu 'read'; taberu 'eat'

� negative end in -anai/-nai: yomanai 'doesn't/won't read'; tabenai 'doesn't/won't eat'

Politeness


− plain formal

either uchi or soto relationship between speaker and listener but they're not close; and/or talking about someone of equal or lower status

� declarative verbs end in -imasu/-masu: yomimasu 'read'; tabemasu 'eat'

� negative end in -imasen/-masen: yomimasen'doesn't/won't read'; tabemasen 'doesn't eat'

Politeness


respectful informal

uchi relationship between speaker and listener but they're not close; and/or talking about someone of higher status

honorific prefix o- added before verbs

� declarative verbs end in the infinitive (-i) plus ni naru; or a suppletive form: oyomininaru 'read'; meshiagaru 'eat'

� negative end in infinitive plus -ni naranai: oyomininaranai'doesn't/won't read'; meshiagaranai 'doesn't eat'

Politeness


respectful formal

uchi or soto relationship between speaker and listener but they're not close; and/or talking about someone of higher status


� declarative verbs end in the infinitive (-i) plus ni narimasu; or a suppletive form: oyomininarimasu 'read'; meshiagarimasu 'eat'

� negative end in infinitive plus -ni narimasen: oyomininarimasen 'doesn't/won't read'; meshiagarimasen'doesn't eat'

Politeness


humble formal

� uchi or soto relationship between speaker and listener but they're not close; and the speaker is talking about his/her own actions, or actions of an uchi member to a superior


� declarative verbs end in the infinitive (-i) plus shimasu or a suppletive form: oyomishimasu 'read'; itadakimasu 'eat'

� negative end in infinitive plus -shimasen: oyomishimasen'doesn't/won't read'; itadakimasen 'doesn't eat'

Questions?

Any questions?

Politeness

Korean

Six levels of speech

PolitenessKorean


2 – btw classmates; 3 – parents to kids; 4 – btw kids and parents; 5. supervisor; 6. president

Politeness

Korean


Politeness

Korean

Other ways honorifics are expressed

Insertion of -si

Politeness

Korean

Other ways honorifics are expressed

honorific case particles

-ɛ is the indirect object marker (plain)

-kkɛ is the indirect honorific object particle

toŋsəŋ-ɛ ʧuta. 'give to a classmate'

sonsəŋ-nim-kkɛ ʧuta. 'give to a teacher'

Questions?

Any questions?

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