Japanese Language. Haruhiko Kindaichi

      4. Differences by Situation 53

      • Literary style 53

      • Persistence of literary expressions 55

      • Peculiarity of “desu” and “masu” forms 57

      • “Desu” and “masu” forms in daily speech 59

      PART III PRONUNCIATION 63

      1. The Syllable 65

      • Distinct breaks between syllables 65

      • Each syllable is a dot 67

      2. The Phonemes 69

      • Vowels 70

      • Consonants 71

      • Relation between vowels and consonants 74

      3. The Sound System 76

      • Structure of the syllable 76

      • Syllabic nasal and syllabic stop 77

      • Paucity of syllable types 79

      4. From Syllables to Words 83

      • Laws uniting syllables 83

      • Pitch accent 86

      • Rhythm 90

      PART IV VOCABULARY 93

      1. Size and Construction 95

      • Are there comprehensive words? 96

      • Is the vocabulary system well organized? 97

      • Are there contradictory words and phrases? 99

      2. Characteristics of Words 103

      • How words are separated 103

      • Japanese words are long 104

      • Abundance of variable words 106

      • Many homonyms and synonyms 108

      • Distinctions between parts of speech 110

      3. The Cultural Index 112

      • Nature of the vocabulary 112

      • Various ways of differentiation 112

      • Words characteristic of a language 114

      • Favorite words 115

      4. Nature 117

      • The weather 117

      • The seasons 118

      • Heavenly bodies 120

      • Topography 121

      • Water 122

      • Vegetation 124

      • Animals 125

      5. Human Biology and Emotions 128

      • The human body 128

      • Internal organs 129

      • Injuries and diseases 130

      • The senses 131

      • Differentiation of feelings 132

      • Value words 134

      • Body movement 136

      • Daily necessities 137

      • Moral and aesthetic consciousness 139

      6. Family and Society 142

      • Kinship 142

      • Social position and sex distinction 144

      • Terms of respect 146

      • Social interaction 149

      7. Abstract Ideas 153

      • Spatial relations 153

      • Colors 155

      • Abstract ideas 156

      PART V SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION 159

      1. Form and Length 161

      • Sentence form 161

      • Sentence endings 163

      • Sentence length 167

      2. Sentence Types 172

      • Significative words and phrases at the ends of sentences 174

      • The subject and the topic words 176

      • Expressions ending in nouns 179

      3. Word and Phrase Arrangement 183

      • The principle governing word order 183

      • Languages with similar word order 185

      • Freedom in Japanese word order 186

      • Modifiers at the beginning 187

      • Predicates at the end 189

      4. Word and Phrase Combination 196

      • Joining sentences 198

      • Linking participial adjectives 201

      • Flexibility of noun phrases 205

      • Word modulation 210

      5.