Thursday, December 9, 2010

Katakana Analysis Final

Katakana is a Japanese syllabary alongside hiragana and kanji which developed from Buddhist monks who simplified the more complex Chinese characters associated with ancient texts. Most textbooks seem to agree that katakana can be utilized to describe foreign words (or loanwords), onomatopoeia, and can be used to bestow emphasis on a word or phrase. Take, for example, the word Alaska which, in katakana, would be written as アラスカ. Obviously the katakana usage in this example correlates to the foreign word application of the syllabary but what is the purpose of this usage? Why not hiragana? One must remember that katakana was distilled over time from the original Chinese characters. These characters were also, prior to the appearance of katakana, used to express words or expressions that were alien. Once katakana developed due to the shorthand of the monks it would follow that foreign words be described by the use of this syllabary as its predecessor, kanji, once was. Another example is the onomatopoeia application of katakana. A sound such as pa-tang (rough representation of a hammer striking metal) would be written as パターン. Why not use the hiragana version of the word: ぱたーん? There is a certain employment of katakana similar to the use of italics in English. The katakana version of this onomatopoeia has a particular quality or aesthetic depiction which enhances the meaning and is able to express the sound in a more distinct fashion analogous to italics. Compare bang to bang. The italicized sound diction emphasizes the word in such a way as to make one prudent in choosing to write it in italics if one wishes garner the attention upon that word rather than its un-italicized counterpart. Many Japanese textbooks also illuminate katakana and its use. Japanese textbooks seem to all agree that katakana is used for western loanwords, onomatopoeic words and also for those words which emphasis is placed upon. I would venture to say that these textbooks explain katakana's usage in such a way (as in a brief general overview of what they are used for and not how they came into use for these things) due to the fact that the actual usage of this syllabary is natural to Japanese native speakers and writers. It is similar in the sense of English speakers and writers were the nuances of the language are known intuitively and sometimes when asked to explain the workings of the language many just say "That is how it is and I do not know why." which is usually the case that I find myself in. 

Works Cited:
Et al. Katakana. Wikipedia. 3 November 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katakana
Ager, S. Katakana. Omniglot. 1998-2010. http://www.omniglot.com/writing/japanese_katakana.htm
Masayoshi, K. Learning Katakana. Yoshida Institute of Japanese Language. 2003-2010.http://www.yosida.com/en/katakana.html

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Friday, November 12, 2010

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Composition 2 山田さんにたがみをかきます!

山田さんへ、
はじめまして、わたしはラモスリチャードです。コロンビアのだいがくのがくせいです。そして、日本ごのいちねんせいです。わたしのしごとはむずかしいですが、おもしろいです。コロンビアだいがくとてもちっさいです。でもたのしいです。ともかくっぎのろく月みっ日にひこうきで日本へいます。
よろしくおねがいします。そしてこれからおせわになります。
ラモスリチャード

Friday, November 5, 2010

アイヌご

                                          The Symbol of Hokkaidō


アイヌごはほっかいどうからきました。アイヌごは"moribound"です。アイヌごはおもしろいですね。So in other words, the Ainu language is one that is spoken only in the Hokkaidō area of Japan and is considered a language isolate. There are not many native speakers left and many of these do not use the language on a daily basis which leads the tounge to be thought of as moribound, or leading to extinction. Although it is classified as such, there is an ongoing attempt to revive the language by Shigeru Kayano who is an Ainu activist. The language itself is similar to Japanese but there are a few differences and even a special カタカナ system for it! Anyway for more information on the topic you can check out the wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainu_language

                                                              

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Katakana Analysis Draft

Katakana is a Japanese syllabary alongside hiragana and kanji which developed from Buddhist monks who simplified the more complex Chinese characters associated with ancient texts. Most textbooks seem to agree that katakana can be utilized to describe foreign words (or loanwords), onomatopoeia, and can be used to bestow emphasis on a word or phrase. Take, for example, the word Alaska which, in katakana, would be written as アラスカ. Obviously the katakana usage in this example correlates to the foreign word application of the syllabary but what is the purpose of this usage? Why not hiragana? One must remember that katakana was distilled over time from the original Chinese characters. These characters were also, prior to the appearance of katakana, used to express words or expressions that were alien. Once katakana developed due to the shorthand of the monks it would follow that foreign words be described by the use of this syllabary as its predecessor, kanji, once was. Another example is the onomatopoeia application of katakana. A sound such as pa-tang (rough representation of a hammer striking metal) would be written as パターン. Why not use the hiragana version of the word: ぱたーん? There is a certain employment of katakana similar to the use of italics in English. The katakana version of this onomatopoeia has a particular quality or aesthetic depiction which enhances the meaning and is able to express the sound in a more distinct fashion analogous to italics. Compare bang to bang. The italicized sound diction emphasizes the word in such a way as to make one prudent in choosing to write it in italics if one wishes garner the attention upon that word rather than its un-italicized counterpart.

Works Cited:
Et al. Katakana. Wikipedia. 3 November 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katakana
Ager, S. Katakana. Omniglot. 1998-2010. http://www.omniglot.com/writing/japanese_katakana.htm
Masayoshi, K. Learning Katakana. Yoshida Institute of Japanese Language. 2003-2010.http://www.yosida.com/en/katakana.html

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

びょうきんです :(

きょうは火曜日です。そしてわたしはびょうきです。せんしゅうの水曜日まわりにびょうきました。わたしはいまつかれます。(-。-)

Monday, October 11, 2010

おんがく

こんばんわみんなさん、おんがくおがすきです! バイオリノおだいすきです。 はい、じゃまた! 

アニメ!


.hack//signがすきです。This anime is extremely おもしろい. I will not divulge too much into the plot of the story (which is central to the complexity of this show) but I will tell you how awesome it is! The general setting is called "The World" which is a computer game which simulates reality (almost like the matrix). Sounds cool right? Wrong! Well, not really but there is a reason why it should be. People have been going into comas after being attacked by monsters with corrupted data. Problem! But all in all I'll admit the anime is a little おそい but it's still incredible!

Monday, October 4, 2010

にほんご in the home!

I visited my family this past weekend and attempted to use some of the にほんご that I learned. おもしろいです!I said things like こんにちわ and わたしのかばんわどこですか? My mother's reaction was quite what I expected. A quick raise of the eyebrow and then "What the hell are you saying?" Needless to say I had a fun time. (^.^)

Monday, September 27, 2010

わたしの闘争

にほんごむずかしいです。
That will be today's extent of hiragana; but yes Japanese is proving difficult. I suppose it's how I approach the subject...I'll have start making flash-cards then :p

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Reason for Japanese

My native language is English as you can tell from the not-so-fluent use of Japanese hiragana. As for a personal introduction there truly isn't much to say, I am a college student much like any other with only individualistic differences peppered throughout my character. For example, I have been called "zen" so many times it's becoming a tad redundant but that is only because I have a philosophy of life that is built upon a type of peace. This is probably what attracted me to Japanese. Japan and its culture is rich and full of polite peace that mirrors some of my life views: respect for nature, beauty inside and out and other such minuscule precepts. It was the small things that brought me to study this language. Albeit at times I do tire of the constant repetition and I find my mind wandering between here and various dreamscapes but I truly enjoy learning this language. The grammar is (apparently) easier than English but I would not know for I have grown with English and know it so naturally that if someone were to ask me what a predicate was I would have trouble explaining...I possibly might not even know what it was. Besides the logistical advantage of Japanese there is also a quiet finesse when writing its characters. A swish here, a small flick there. Beautiful inside and out. Hopefully I will be able to speak Japanese fluently and have enough people to speak it with. Yet if time brings it out of my life then that will be fine as well because I would have had a wonderful experience learning something totally new...even if I do forget!

Friday, September 17, 2010

ここ は わたし の ブログ

こんにちは!
わたし は むそうーか です。
だいがく の いちねんせい と わたし は あめりかじん です。
あなたたち は なんえんせい です か?
とにかく にゅようく から きました。
にほんご は たのしい。 (^、^)
ありがとう ございます みなさん!
じゃ、 また!