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- Title
A Study of the Usage Restrictions for Simultaneity Expressions in Japanese.
- Authors
Tsutsui, Michio
- Abstract
Describing an action or event in relation to the time of another action or event is one of the most fundamental functions of language. This article investigates the restrictions that govern a subset of time expressions in Japanese, which I call "simultaneity expressions," i.e., expressions that indicate that the action/event in a subordinate clause (S1) takes place at the same time or immediately after the action/event in the main clause (S2). Focusing on six simultaneity expressions (SE) (i.e., ya ina ya, ga hayai ka, nari, to dōji ni, totan ni, and shunkan ni), I demonstrate that while each SE has a unique set of restrictions, in general, these restrictions are governed by four conditions: (a) the actuality of the action/event in S2 (i.e., whether it is a past, future, or habitual action/event); (b) the controllability of the action/event in S2 (i.e., whether the action/event is under the control of the subject of S1); (c) the inevitability of the action/event in S2 (i.e., whether the action/event in S2 is triggered by that in S1); and (d) the expectedness of the action/event in S2 (i.e., whether the action/event in S2 is expected to take place at the same time as that in S1).
- Subjects
LANGUAGE &; languages; JAPANESE people; RESTRICTIONS; EXPRESSION (Philosophy); HUMAN behavior; JAPANESE language
- Publication
Japanese Language & Literature, 2012, Vol 46, Issue 1, p91
- ISSN
1536-7827
- Publication type
Article