This study outlined the part of speech classification in modern Japanese and dealt with the development of the part of speech classification table in current form. The current part of speech classification table of Japanese language is based on the pa...
This study outlined the part of speech classification in modern Japanese and dealt with the development of the part of speech classification table in current form. The current part of speech classification table of Japanese language is based on the part of speech classification table of Shinkichi Hashimoto. The part of speech classification table of Hashimoto can be generally divided into three parts; (A) the part to be cross-classified by the conflict of use and non-use such as self-reliance and accessories (Independent / included in Hashimoto’s table), (B) the part to be classified by function such as the subject and predicate and predicate-modifier, and (C) the part that indicates the part of speech such as a noun or a verb. (A) reflects the grammatical view of traditional Japanology, (B) the clause of the relationship of Hashimoto, and (C) the part of speech after Fumihiko Otsuki. The main text of the study examined how the contrasting concept used in (A) was brought from Chinese grammar into Japanese grammar and established as the grammatical concept of the Japanese language and how the eclecticism between Western grammar and Japanese grammar as well as the deviation from it took place regarding (C). This study went on to explain that the plan to correct the deviation of eclecticism emerged in the middle of the 20th year in the MeijiEra to form the part of speech classification table. The following shows the summary of each chapter. First, in “1. The introduction and modification of the terms from Chinese grammar to Japanese grammar”, it explained that concepts used to define the part of speech in Japanese grammar include ”詞/辭”, “體/用”, and “Conjugation”, that the contrasting concepts such as “True/False”, “Dynamic/Static”, and “Death/Life” in Chinese grammar were accepted after they were redefined through the scholars of Chinese classics during the Edo period, that the part of speech in traditional Japanese grammar had been generally divided into three categories such as 「Nouns / Verbs and Adverbs / Postpositions and Auxiliary Verbs」, and that the cross classification such as (A) would have not been used in traditional Japanese grammar to identify the part of speech. Second, in「2. Adaptation to Western grammar through English grammar」, it reviewed the definition of postpositions, auxiliary verbs, and exclamations centering on the Western grammar in the beginning of the Meji Era. It went on to explain that the postposition defined based on the proposition in English grammar expanded from whose that included case markers and some auxiliary postpositions to those that also included some connective postpositions such as「 て」and「つつ」, however, did not include ending propositions at the end of the sentence, that the auxiliary verb which was defined based on the auxiliary verb in English grammar includes the ending propositions such as 「ばや」 and 「なむ 」, that the exclamations included the ending propositions that are not used independently such as 「よ」 and 「な」, and that even Fumihiko Otsuki who pursued the eclecticism with traditional Japanese grammar also manifested the deviation of eclecticism in 「Grammar Guide」(1890). In 「3. Establishment of the Part of Speech Classification Table」, it explains that Otsuki’s definition of the part of speech (1890) is gradually propagated and that Otsuki’s “eclecticism” requires theoretical adjustment between Western grammar and traditional Japanese grammar. The grammar in the 1890’s can be considered to have accepted Otsuki’s part of speech classification which became the standard while promoted the theoretical coherence between Western grammar and traditional grammar. As a method to achieve coherence, the contrast in “independence / accessory” and “non-use/use” in the entire word was cross-classified to resolve “unvaried auxiliary verb” and “non-independent exclamation.” It also clearly explained the principle of the current part of speech classification table applying the cross-classification and that it was developed by presenting all parts of speech of Otsuki.