Japanese: History, Sounds, Writing, Grammar, and Social Variation

All flashcards

Japanese prehistory

It is not directly documented in writing, so accounts of its early development rely on reconstruction.

Late Middle Japanese

The period from 1185 to 1600, marked by grammatical developments and the first European loanwords.

Pitch accent

A pattern of pitch across a word that can distinguish words; its details vary by dialect.

Modern Japanese

Its beginning is generally associated with the Edo period, from 1603 to 1867.

Yamato kotoba

Native Japanese words, as distinct from Sino-Japanese words and foreign loanwords.

Quiz questions

1. In Japanese mora counting, how many morae does a long vowel generally represent?Answer: Two morae.
2. Which Japanese writing system is especially associated with many foreign loanwords?Answer: Katakana.
3. What does the particle *wa* typically mark in a Japanese sentence?Answer: The topic.
4. Speech from which area formed the basis of standard Japanese?Answer: Higher-class areas of Tokyo.
5. What is Japanese's status in Angaur, Palau?Answer: It is an official language under the state constitution.