Startseite Linguistik & Semiotik Chapter 9. Native and non-native comprehension of the Japanese existential quantifier nanko-ka
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Chapter 9. Native and non-native comprehension of the Japanese existential quantifier nanko-ka

  • Utako Minai und Naoko Nadtochiy
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Studies in Chinese and Japanese Language Acquisition
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch Studies in Chinese and Japanese Language Acquisition

Abstract

This paper discusses native and non-native speakers’ comprehension of the Japanese quantifier nanko-ka, which is viewed as an existential quantifier (cf., some in English) in Japanese. The existential quantifier is argued to be ambiguous at the semantics-pragmatics interface: at the semantic level, it means ‘at least one, possibly all’; at the pragmatic level, it is interpreted as ‘at least one, but not all’. Nanko-ka, as an existential quantifier in Japanese, is expected to exhibit this ambiguity, although there is no data that we are aware of which demonstrates that native speakers indeed access these two interpretations of nanko-ka. Thus, the first goal of the study reported in this paper is to examine native comprehension of this quantifier. As regards the acquisition of the existential quantifier, research in first language acquisition has suggested that children initially have limited access to the pragmatic interpretation of some, in comparison to adults. However, once it comes to adult second language acquisition, how adult L2 learners may cope with the ambiguity of the existential quantifier is not well-known. Given this, the second goal of the current paper is to investigate how nanko-ka is interpreted by English-speaking L2 learners of Japanese.

Abstract

This paper discusses native and non-native speakers’ comprehension of the Japanese quantifier nanko-ka, which is viewed as an existential quantifier (cf., some in English) in Japanese. The existential quantifier is argued to be ambiguous at the semantics-pragmatics interface: at the semantic level, it means ‘at least one, possibly all’; at the pragmatic level, it is interpreted as ‘at least one, but not all’. Nanko-ka, as an existential quantifier in Japanese, is expected to exhibit this ambiguity, although there is no data that we are aware of which demonstrates that native speakers indeed access these two interpretations of nanko-ka. Thus, the first goal of the study reported in this paper is to examine native comprehension of this quantifier. As regards the acquisition of the existential quantifier, research in first language acquisition has suggested that children initially have limited access to the pragmatic interpretation of some, in comparison to adults. However, once it comes to adult second language acquisition, how adult L2 learners may cope with the ambiguity of the existential quantifier is not well-known. Given this, the second goal of the current paper is to investigate how nanko-ka is interpreted by English-speaking L2 learners of Japanese.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Studies in Chinese and Japanese Language Acquisition 1
  4. Part I. Tasks
  5. Chapter 1. The Truth Value Judgment Task 13
  6. Chapter 2. Negation, uncertainty, and the Truth Value Judgment Task 41
  7. Part II. Binding
  8. Chapter 3. Logophoric z iji in Mandarin child language 65
  9. Chapter 4. Kare and the acquisition of bound variable interpretations by Korean speaking learners of Japanese 85
  10. Chapter 5. Interpretation of bound pronouns by learners of Japanese Sign Language 107
  11. Chapter 6. The acquisition of the non-subject status of nominative objects in Japanese 127
  12. Part III. Scope Interactions
  13. Chapter 7. Scrambling and locality constraints in child Japanese 147
  14. Chapter 8. On scope interaction between subject QPs and negation in child grammar 165
  15. Chapter 9. Native and non-native comprehension of the Japanese existential quantifier nanko-ka 197
  16. Part IV. Wh-words and Logical Expressions
  17. Chapter 10. Free choice and wh -indefinites in child Mandarin 223
  18. Chapter 11. The acquisition of the wh -pronoun duo-shao in child Mandarin 237
  19. Chapter 12. Logical expressions in Mandarin-speaking children with autism spectrum disorders 265
  20. Name Index 281
  21. Subject Index 285
https://doi.org/10.1075/lald.60.10min

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Studies in Chinese and Japanese Language Acquisition 1
  4. Part I. Tasks
  5. Chapter 1. The Truth Value Judgment Task 13
  6. Chapter 2. Negation, uncertainty, and the Truth Value Judgment Task 41
  7. Part II. Binding
  8. Chapter 3. Logophoric z iji in Mandarin child language 65
  9. Chapter 4. Kare and the acquisition of bound variable interpretations by Korean speaking learners of Japanese 85
  10. Chapter 5. Interpretation of bound pronouns by learners of Japanese Sign Language 107
  11. Chapter 6. The acquisition of the non-subject status of nominative objects in Japanese 127
  12. Part III. Scope Interactions
  13. Chapter 7. Scrambling and locality constraints in child Japanese 147
  14. Chapter 8. On scope interaction between subject QPs and negation in child grammar 165
  15. Chapter 9. Native and non-native comprehension of the Japanese existential quantifier nanko-ka 197
  16. Part IV. Wh-words and Logical Expressions
  17. Chapter 10. Free choice and wh -indefinites in child Mandarin 223
  18. Chapter 11. The acquisition of the wh -pronoun duo-shao in child Mandarin 237
  19. Chapter 12. Logical expressions in Mandarin-speaking children with autism spectrum disorders 265
  20. Name Index 281
  21. Subject Index 285
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