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Abstract:
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Japanese final particles are a gendered, optional linguistic feature that is added to a word in a sentence or to the end of a sentence to express subtle nuances commonly in the spoken language. In terms of frequency of use, final particles such as zo, ze, and
na are strongly masculine, that is, they are used most frequently by male speakers whereas wa, no, and kasira are strongly feminine, that is, they are used most frequently by female speakers. There are also neutral ones such as kana and ne, which can be used
by male or female speakers equally. Final particles present complex semantic implications including the speaker’s gender, social status, personal background, levels of certainty, confidence, expectation, and doubt (Nagashima 1988, Chino 1991). These
nuances vary significantly depending on the context and the intonation. However, in general, masculine final particles tend to be associated with confidence and assertion while feminine ones are likely to show mild assertion or to be used to soften the tone of a
statement. Analyzing manipulations of final particle usage reveals the underlying personal relationships and social hierarchy behind verbal exchange. This study focuses on the use of Japanese sentence-final particles by Japanese gay males. I studied four short stories, including a four-frame cartoon series, from two
major Japanese gay magazines, Bády and G-men. For each story, I analyzed the relation between the nature of the characters’ personal relationships and their self-expressions primarily by examining their final particle usage, but I also needed the context and other relevant linguistic cues such as the use of first-person pronouns, which are also gendered, as I consulted my native speaker knowledge. Visual cues were also analyzed whenever
illustrations were provided. |