Subjective constructions in polite discourse: negotiating between Speech-Act Empathy Hierarchy and social hierarchy
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Harumi Minagawa
Abstract
Using data from interviews and television programs where social demeanor must be observed by the speaker, this study examines what the Japanese speaker does when reporting a transitive event where the speaker is the Undergoer and the Actor is someone they are expected to express respect toward. The speaker’s decision in such contexts is influenced by two seemingly conflicting motivations, i.e. tell a story from a speaker’s perspective by placing empathy on self (the “Speech-Act Empathy Hierarchy”) (Kuno, Susumu & Etsuko Kaburaki. 1977. Empathy and syntax. Linguistic Inquiry 8(4). 627–672) or give up this privilege of empathy in consideration for the respected Actor in the event. The study suggests that social consideration takes precedence over of the Speech-Act Empathy Hierarchy unless both are satisfied simultaneously. This study identified further factors that appear to be at work: productivity of the construction, desire to portray themselves as an affected Undergoer of the event, and reluctance to convey a sense of benefit.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my dear friend Dr Nerida Jarkey from the University of Sydney for her constructive criticism in the process of writing this article. My gratitude also goes to my colleague Dr Wayne Lawrence from the University of Auckland for his patient checking of my drafts. I would also like to thank the JJL anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions. All remaining errors are mine.
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© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Editorial
- Articles
- What voiced obstruents symbolically represent in Japanese: evidence from the Pokémon universe
- Japanese apophonic compounds
- Creation of an intensifier in progress: a study of the Japanese adverb hutuuni
- Subjective constructions in polite discourse: negotiating between Speech-Act Empathy Hierarchy and social hierarchy
- Book Reviews
- Noriko Yoshimura and Mineharu Nakayama: Dainigengo shūtoku-kenkyū eno sasoi: Riron kara jisshō e [An invitation to second language acquisition research: From theory to experiment]
- Prashant Pardeshi, Yosuke Momiyama, Yuriko Sunakawa, Shingo Imai, and Yasunari Imamura: Tagidōshi-bunseki no shin-tenkai to nihongo-kyōiku eno ōyō [New developments in the analysis of polysemous words and their application to Japanese language education]
- Hisashi Noda: Nihongo gakushūsha no dokkai-katē [Reading process of learners of Japanese]
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Editorial
- Articles
- What voiced obstruents symbolically represent in Japanese: evidence from the Pokémon universe
- Japanese apophonic compounds
- Creation of an intensifier in progress: a study of the Japanese adverb hutuuni
- Subjective constructions in polite discourse: negotiating between Speech-Act Empathy Hierarchy and social hierarchy
- Book Reviews
- Noriko Yoshimura and Mineharu Nakayama: Dainigengo shūtoku-kenkyū eno sasoi: Riron kara jisshō e [An invitation to second language acquisition research: From theory to experiment]
- Prashant Pardeshi, Yosuke Momiyama, Yuriko Sunakawa, Shingo Imai, and Yasunari Imamura: Tagidōshi-bunseki no shin-tenkai to nihongo-kyōiku eno ōyō [New developments in the analysis of polysemous words and their application to Japanese language education]
- Hisashi Noda: Nihongo gakushūsha no dokkai-katē [Reading process of learners of Japanese]
