This study analyzes the emotive meanings of three strategies - vocatives/reference forms, desu/masu versus da verb forms, and the use and non-use of the interactional particle yo -in a particular Mode of Japanese discourse. The research site is a television drama series, Majo no Jooken (Conditions… read more
This paper explores the thematic and interactional significance of the quotative marker tte in Japanese comics. The quotative expressions examined are 'meta-quotations', their main function being to self-qualify the quoter's speaking act. Although a similar use is observed in the standard quotation… read more
This paper examines the nature of questioning in Japanese by concentrating on questions taking the so-called n(o) da construction, i.e., "commentary questions" or CQs. Going beyond the cognitive and pragmatic features associated with "commentary predicates" explored in my earlier study, I argue… read more
This paper examines three ways in which thematic relations are realized in Japanese text. Scholars in the past have focused on limited cases of thematization in Japanese — mostly realized by the thematic particle wa from the given-new information perspective. Following and advancing this tradition,… read more