LINGUIST List 7.967

Tue Jul 2 1996

Qs: Julian Jaynes, Japanese conjugation, Syllable structure

Editor for this issue: Ann Dizdar <dizdartam2000.tamu.edu>

Directory

1. Jonathan Centner, Linguistics Research based on Julian Jaynes _ Origins of...
2. Yoshihiro Masuya, Japanese conjugation
3. Mikael Parkvall, Syllable structure

I am putting together a bibliography of the body of research in
Linguistics and Anthropology being done (if any, my current findings
are meagre) based on the hypotheses Julian Jaynes stated in his book
_The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind_.

I am also curious to know whether any of his work has filtered down
into the area of second language acquisition, so leads in that area
are also appreciated.

I appreciate the help in this matter and will present my findings in a
couple of weeks, assuming anything at all comes back.

Jon Centner

There seems to have been a misunderstanding of what I said about
Japanese verb conjugation--verb conjugation, because adjectives also
conjuate. The fact that I was misunderstood apparently implies an
answer to my query.

Conjugations of Japanese have nothing to do with
 tense/aspect/person/number/voice/mood.

Now take verb conjugations. (*kaku* (to write) is used as an example
for a change.)

1. Form followed by a negative particle (*nai*) or an auxiliary
(*(ra)reru*): the latter expressing several different meanings
according the context. *kaka nai* (do(es) not write); *kaka reru*
(is,are, etc. written/ used with the feeling of respect/etc.).

2. Form followed by a verb or an auxiliary: *kaki oeru* (finish
writing); *kaki masu*.

3. Form followed by none, i.e. form which stands at the end of a
sentence: *kaku* (. . .write(s). . . .). Or Form followed by negative
imperative particle *na*: *kaku na* (Do not write!)

4. Form followed by a noun qualified by the verb: *kaku hito* ((a)
person(s) who write(s). . . .).

5. Form followed by a particle *ba* (if): *kake ba*
(if. . . write(s)).

6. Form followed by an imperative particle *yo*: *kake yo*. ( *kake*
often used independently).

7. Form expressing intention: *kakoo* (Let's write.) (This conjuated
form is a recent born and exceptional.)


Except 7, verb endings utterly depend on what morpheme(s) follow the
verb. Hyphens seem to mislead you and are omitted here. Hyphenation
did not mean the composition of a word.

Though I am a phonetician and not a morphologist, I have been
wondering if this conjugation system is unique.

I thank the people mentioned below for their quick response and interest.

Warren Frerichs
Steven Schaufele
Patrick Ryan
Deborah D. K. Ruuskanen
Chad D. Nilep.

Professor Yoshihiro Masuya <masuyamxb.meshnet.or.jp>
Professor of English Linguistics and Phonetics.
Graduate School of Humantities & |
Institute for Language and Culture |RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
Konan University |9-14, Tsukushi ga Oka 1 Chome
9-1, Okamoto 8 Chome |Kita-ku, KOBE 651-12
Higashinada-ku, KOBE 658 |Japan
Japan |
Tel: +81-78-431-4341. |Tel: +81-78-581-9958.
Fax: +81-78-435-2545. |Fax: +81-78-586-2101.

Dear fellow linguists,

Together with two undergrad students, I am working on creole language
syllable structures. African and American creole languages with a
European-derived lexicon tend to change their syllable structures
somewhat in the direction of the more strict CV-phonotactics of the
African substrate languages.

In order to compare the creole syllables with those in both super- and
substrate languages, I would like references to works not only
indicating the permissible syllable types, but also the proportions in
which these occur. The languages I am interested in are on the one
hand those of the Niger-Congo phylum, and on the other English,
French, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish.

Thanks in advance,

Mikael Parkvall
Stockholm University
parkvallling.su.se