The graph(em)ic representation of Tōhoku dialect in contemporary Japanese prose

The graph(em)ic representation of Tōhoku dialect in contemporary Japanese prose Hanna Jaśkiewicz Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań Graph(em)ic ideologies ◦„as any sets of beliefs about graphic communicative means articulated by users as a rationalization or justification of perceived orders and communicative use of graphic elements” (Spitzmüller 2012: 256, based on Silverstein 1979: 193) ◦investigates graphic communicative means such as: ◦choice of writing systems ◦spelling ◦graphemic features (e.g., diacritics, special characters) ◦typography (type faces, layout, emphasizing etc.) ◦colors and images Visual representation of dialects ◦eye dialect by Krapp (1925:250) ◦„the convention violated is one of the eye, not of the ear” ◦a technique of representing vernacular, informal language or dialect through non-standard spelling ◦establish sense of superiority towards the non-standard variety speaker ◦Preston (1985) distingushes three types: ◦allegro speech –creates the impression of casual, not monitored speech ◦dialect respellings –semi-phonetic to capture non-standard pronunciation ◦eye dialect –reflects no phonetic difference, makes the speaker appear uneducated or funny Japanese writing system&ideologies ◦kanji ◦used for the roots of nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs ◦in debates portrayed as: obstacle to modernization, symbol of Chinese influence, inherent part of Japanese language, essential skill ◦hiragana ◦used for native and naturalized words and grammatical elements ◦in fiction used as „child script”, evokes associations with youthfulness, frivolity or even foolishness(Robertson 2019: 2) ◦katakana ◦used for foreign words, names, loanwords, onomatopoeia, and occasionally for emphasis ◦evokes a feeling of exoticism and foreignness (Hosokawa 2021: 120) Tōhoku dialect ◦group of dialects, spoken in the northeastern part of the island of Honshū ◦linguistics features include associated with Tōhoku dialect ◦phonetic: neutralization of the vowels /i/ and /u/, monophthongization, intervocalic voicing of consontants /k/ and /d/, prenasalization of unvoiced consonants ◦morphological: plain non-past negative form –ne, suffix -be in the constructions of conjecture, confirmation, suggestion or proposal, locative marker -sa, accusative marker -ba ◦lexical: first person pronouns (ora, wa), second person pronouns (anda, omē) ◦the least prestigious dialect, perceived as „incomprehensible”, „simple”, „funny”, „warm”, „ugly” (Tanaka 2011: 72) ◦stigmatized by media representations (Kumagai 2012) title abbriviation Inoue Hisashi, Kirikirijn (The People of Kirkiri). Tōkyō: Shinchōsha, 1981. Inoue 1981 Itō Seikō, Sōzō rajio (Imaginary Radio), Tōkyō: Kawadeshobōshinsha,2013. Itō 2013 Kimura Yōsuke, Yōnako-no seisen (Children’s Crusade). Tōkyō: Shūeisha, 2023. Kimura 2023 Kimura Yōsuke, Isa-no hanran (Isa’s Deluge). Tōkyō: Miraisha, 2016 Kimura 2016 Koshigaya Osamu, Itomichi (Ito). Tōkyō: Shinchōsha, 2011. Koshigaya 2011 Numata Shinsuke, Eiri (Beneath the Shadow). Tōkyō: Bungeishunjū, 2019. Numata 2019 Takahashi Hiroki, Okuribi (Obon Bonfire). Tōkyō: Shōgakukan, 2008. Takahashi 2008 Sasaki Kyōseki, Jiyoppare Aomori-no hoshi (The stubborn star from Aomori). Tōkyō: Kadokawa sunīkā bunko, 2022. Sasaki 2022 Uchidate Makiko, Chīsana kamitachi-no matsuri (The festival of small gods), Tōkyō: Ushioshuppansha, 2021. Uchidate 2021 Wakatake Chisako, Ora ora-de hitori igumo (Everyone goes alone), Tōkyō: Kawadeshobōshinsha, 2017. Wakatake 2017 Yū Miri, JR Uenoeki kōen-guchi (Tokyo Ueno Station), 2014 Yū 2014 Using non-standard furigana 「二十三歳 ぬじゅうさんさえす。集団就職 すうだんすうそくで東京 とうちよさ行 えって下着工場 すたぎこうばさ勤 つとめで居 えだんだけっ とも、一年 いちねんばっかで工場 こうばば辞 やめて、あっちこちさ勤 づとめ変 かえて、二十歳 はだつ の時に ヌードさなったのす」 “Nujūsan-sae su. Suudansūsoku-de Tōcho-sa ette sutagik ō ba-sa tsutomedeedan-dake ttomo, ichinen bakkade kōba-ba yamete, atchikotchi-sa tsutomekaete, hadadzu-no tokini nūdo-sa natta-no su.” “[My sister] is twenty-three years old. She went to Tokyo to work in a lingerie factory, but quit after a year, worked here and there, and began stripping at the age of twenty.” (Inoue 1981: 76) 「ま、まあ、全部 ぜんぶ が全部嘘 ぜんぶうそ でねくてよがったねが。それにこうすて見 み るど案外 あんがい 可愛 めんご いがもわがんねえび の」 “Ma, mā, zenbu-ga zenbu uso denekute yogatta-ne-ga. Sore-ni kō sutemirudo angai mengoii-ga mo-wagannē-bi-no” “Well, well, I'm glad it was not all a lie. Also, when I look more, it’s surprisingly cute. (Sasaki 2022: 146) 「私、パンダを見るのが小さい頃からの夢だったんです! 噂に聞けば凄く 可愛 かわいい動物だって聞いてます から! 」 “Watashi, panda-o miru-no-ga chīsai koro-kara-no yumedatta-n desu! Uwasa-ni kikeba sugoku kawaii dōbutsu datte kiitemasu-kara!” It's been my dream to see a panda since I was little! I've heard rumors that they're really cute animals! They're black and white, and fluffy! I've heard that they look like walking stuffed animals!" (Sasaki 2022: 135) Writing in hiragana 「わ、わのどごばまねんだすか!? 戦闘のどぎってばいっちばんさぎさたってけっぱってあった のすよ! 怪我人ばでればあさまがらばげまであずがってだのに! そいでばまねがったんだすか! 」 【私のどこがダメなのですか。戦闘の時は一番先頭に立って頑張っていたんで すよ。怪我人 が出れば朝から晩まで介護したのに。それではダメでしたか】 “Wa, wa no-dogo-ba manen dasu-ka! ? Sentō-no dogi-tte-ba itchiban-sa gisa tattekeppatteatta-no su-yo! Keganin-ba dereba asama-gara bage-made azugatte da-no-ni! Soide-ba manegatta-n dasu-ka!” (…)” [Watashi-no doko-ga dame-na-no desu-ka. Sentō-no toki-wa ichiban sentō-ni tatteganbatteita-n-desu-yo. Kega hito-ga dereba asa-kara ban-made kaigo shita-no-ni. Sorede-wa dame deshita-ka] “What did I do wrong? During battles, I was first at the front and gave my all. When someone was injured, I took care of him from morning to evening. Was it useless?” (Sasaki 2022: 11)