Chapter 2
The system of modulation in Japanese
This chapter explores the system of modulation in
Japanese in the framework of Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) (Halliday 1985, 1994, Halliday and
Matthiessen 2004, 2014). It attempts to apply this theory of language to the
description of Japanese modulation, i.e. obligation and inclination.
Unlike many traditional approaches of Japanese modality which confine themselves
to the interpretation of sentence-final elements, the systemic functional
approach posits a text-based, structural-functional account of modality in
relation to the system of speech function. In light of this, the present
study postulates an elaborated framework of modulation in Japanese with
reference to the system network of modulation with typical realization
forms, which contributes to the expansion of the interpersonal meaning
potential in interaction.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Previous studies on modality
- 2.1Mood and modality
- 2.2Brief overview of Japanese mood and modality
- 3.Japanese modality
within the SFL framework
- 3.1Criteria for defining modality in Japanese
- 3.2The scope of modality in SFL
- 3.3The semantic domain of modality
- 3.4Modes of expressions in modulation in Japanese
- 3.5Summary
- 4.Modulation
- 4.1Descriptive framework of modulation
- 4.2The concept of modulation
- 4.3Systems of SUBJECT PRESUMPTION and SUBJECT PERSON
- 4.4Obligation
- 4.4.1Subtypes of obligation
- 4.4.2Semantic domains of obligation and realisational patterns
- 4.4.3Selected examples of the relevant systemic choices
- A.[subjective][implicit]
- B.[objective][implicit]
- C.[subjective][explicit]
- D.[objective][explicit]
- 4.5Inclination
- 4.5.1Subtypes of inclination and forms of realisation
- 4.5.2Semantic domains of Inclination and realisational
patterns
- 4.5.3Selected examples of the relevant systemic choices
- 5.Conclusion
-
Acknowledgements
-
Notes
-
Abbreviations for grammatical items
-
References
-
Appendix
References (88)
References
Amemiya, Y. (2000).
Suru beki da, shita ho ga ii to shinakereha
ikenai no chigai [A Note on the difference between suru beki da,
shita ho ga ii and shinakutewa
ikenai
]. Gendai Nihongo
Kenkyu. Vol. 7. 12–24.
Butler, C. S. (2003). Structure
and Function: An Introduction to Three Major Structural Functional
Theories. Part 1: Approaches to the Simplex
Clause. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Eggins, S. and Slade, D. (1997). Analyzing
Casual Conversation. London and Washington: Cassell.
Fawcett, R. P. (2008). Invitation to Systemic Functional Linguistics through the Cardiff Grammar: An Extension and Simplification of Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar, 3rd Ed. London: Equinox.
Fillmore, C. (1968). The
Case for
Case. In E. Back, R. T. Harms (eds.) Universals
in Linguistic Theory. New York et al.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 1–88.
Fukui, N. (2013). Description
of mood in Japanese: Examining mood types in a selected set of
text. In E. A. Thomson and W. S. Armour (eds) Systemic
Functional Perspectives of Japanese: Descriptions And
Applications. Oakville, TN: Equinox, 65–100.
Funamoto, H. (2020). ‘Qualifying
things; The “qualifying modifier” and its raising construction in
Japanese’. In G. Tucker, G. Huang, L. Fontaine and E. McDonald. (eds) Approaches
to Systemic Functional Grammar: Convergence and
Divergence. Oakville, TN: Equinox, 193–214.
Haga, Y. (1954). Chinjutsu to wa
nanimono? [What is
statement?]. In S. Hattori, et al. (eds). Nihon no gengogaku dai 3 kan
Bunpoo I. [Japanese
Linguistics Vol. 3 Grammar
I]. Tokyo: Taishuukan, 284–303.
Halliday, M. A. K. (2013). ‘Meaning
as
Choice’. In L. T. Fontaine, Bartlett and G. O’Grady. (eds.) 2013). Systemic
Functional Linguistics: Exploring
Choice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 15–36. 

Halliday, M. A. K. (1970). “Functional
diversity in language as seen from a consideration of modality and
mood in
English,” in Foundations
of Language: International Journal of Language and
Philosophy, 6, 322–61.
Halliday, M. A. K. (1985). An
Introduction to Functional Grammar. 1st
Ed. London: Arnold.
Halliday, M. A. K. (1994). An
Introduction to Functional Grammar, 2nd
Ed. London: Arnold.
Halliday, M. A. K. and Christian M. I. M. Matthiessen. (2004). An
Introduction to Functional Grammar, 3rd
Ed. London: Arnold.
Halliday, M. A. K., Revised by Christian M. I. M. Matthiessen. (2014). Halliday’s
Introduction to Functional Grammar. 4th
Ed. London and New York: Routledge. 

Igarashi, K. (2016). Chinjutsuron no kefu to
modatiti. [A brief
historical review of statement and
modality]. Kadooka, K., Igarashi, K., Iimura, R., Fukuda, K. and S. Kato. (2016). Kino Bunpo ni yoru Nihongo Modariti
Kenkyu [Studies in
Japanese Modality Based on Functional
Grammar]. Tokyo: Kuroshio, 67–111.
Iimura, R. (2016). Kino bunpo ni yoru modariti bunseki
ni mukete [Towards
an analysis of modality in functional
grammar]. In Kadooka, K., Igarashi, K., Iimura, R., Fukuda, K. and S. Kato. (2016). Kino Bunpo ni yoru Nihongo Modariti
Kenkyu [Studies in
Japanese Modality Based on Functional
Grammar]. Tokyo: Kuroshio, 1–65.
Jespersen, O. (1924/1992). The
Philosophy of
Grammar. London: Longman.
Kadooka, K., Igarashi, K., Iimura, R., Fukuda, K. and S. Kato. (2016). Kino Bunpo ni yoru Nihongo Modariti
Kenkyu [Studies in
Japanese Modality Based on Functional
Grammar]. Tokyo: Kuroshio.
Kaiser, S., Y. Ichikawa, N. Kobayashi and H. Yamamoto. (2001). Japanese
A Comprehensive Grammar. 2nd
Ed. Routledge. London and New York.
Kiefer, F. (1987). On
Defining Modality. Folia
Linguistics 11: 67–94.
Kiefer, F. (1997). Presidential
Address: Modality and
Pragmatics. Folia
Linguistics 31 (3–4): 241–253.
Kindaichi, H. (1958). Fuhenka jodooshi no
honshitsu. [The
nature of uninflected modals], Fuhenka jodooshi no honshitsu,
saikoo – Tokieda hakushi・Mizutani shi・ryooke ni
kotaete. [The
nature of uninflected modals, revised – in reply to Dr. Tokieda and
Mizutani]. In H. Kindaichi, Kindaichi Haruhiko chosaku shuu dai 3
kan. [Selected
Papers of Kindaichi Haruhiko Volume
3]. Tokyo: Tamagawadaigaku Shuppanbu, 305–351, 353–363.
Kitahara, Y. (1970). Jodooshi no soogo shoosetsu ni tuiteno koobunronteki
koosatsu. [A Study of
the Junction of Auxiliary Verbs – from the Syntactic Point of
View –]. Kokugo gaku,
83. [The Study of
Japanese Language,
83]. 32–59.
Kitahara, Y. (1981). Nihon go jodooshi no
kenkyuu. [The
study of Japanese
auxiliaries]. Tokyo: Taishuukan.
Kudo, H. (2005). Bun no kino to
johosei [The
function of sentences and
modality] Kokugo to
Kokubungaku. Vol. 82 (8, 1–15.
Kurotaki, M. (2005). Deontic kara Epistemic eno fuhensei
to soutaisei – Modality no nichiei taishoo
kenkyu. [Universal
and Relative views on deontic and epistemic
modalities]. Tokyo: Kuroshio.
LDCE. Longman Dictionary of
Contemporary
English (online). London: Longman.
Lyons, J. (1968). Introduction
to Theoretical
Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Lyons, J. (1977). Semantics, Vol. 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Masuoka, T. (1991). Modariti no
Bunpo [The Grammar
of
Modality] Tokyo: Kuroshio.
Masuoka, T. (2007). Nihongo Modariti
Tankyu [A quest of
Japanese
Modality] Tokyo: Kuroshio.
Mikami, F. (1974). Nihon go no
kozo. [The
Structure of
Japanese]. Tokyo: Taishukan.
Minami, F. (1993). Gendai Nihongo bunpoo no
rinkaku. [An
outline of Contemporary
Japanese]. Tokyo: Taishukan.
Miyajima, T. (1972). Dooshi no imi yoohoo no kijutsuteki
kenkyuu [A
Descriptive Study on the Meaning and Usage of Japanese
Verbs]. Tokyo: Shuei.
Moriyama, Y. and M. Matsuki. (1989). Nihongo Hyogen
Bunkei [Japanese
Sentence
Patterns]. Tokyo: ALC.
Moriyama, T. (2000). Kihon Johoo to Sentaku Kankei to site no Modariti. [Modality in the system of Mood] In Moriyama, T., Nitta, Y. and Kudo, H. Nihongo no Bunpo 3 Modariti, [Japanese grammar 3 Modality] Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 3–78.
Muraki, S. (1991). Nihongo Doshi no
Shoso. [Aspects of
Japanese
Verbs] Kasukabe: Hitsuji Shobo.
Nakau, M. (1979). Modariti to
meidai [Modality and
proposition]. In Hayashi
Eiichi Kyoju Kinen Ronbunshu Kanko Iinnkai (ed.). Eigo to Nihongo
to,
223–50. Tokyo: Kuroshio Shupan.
Narrog, H. (2005). On
Defining Modality Again. Language
Science 27. 165–192. 

Narrog, H. (2014). Modariti no teigi wo
megutte [On the
definition of modality] H. Sawada (ed.) Modality
I: Theory and Method. Hitsuji Imironn Koza
3. Tokyo: Hitsuji Shobo, 1–23.
Nihongo Kijyutsu Bunpo
Kenkyukai
(ed.) (2003). Gendai Nihongo Bunpo
4 [Contemporary
Japanese Grammar
4] Tokyo: Kuroshio.
Nitta, Y. (1991). Nihongo modaritii to
Ninshoo. [Japanese
Modality and
Person]. Tokyo: Hitsuji-Shobo.
Nitta, Y. (2009). Nihongo modariti to sono
shuhen [Modality
in
Japanese and Around]. Tokyo: Hitsuji Shobo.
Nitta, Y. and T. Masuoka (eds). (1989). Nihongo no
modariti. [Japanese
Modality] Tokyo: Kuroshio Shupan.
Niwa, T. (1991). Bekida to
nakerebanaranai [The modals of obligation in present-day Japanese bekida and
nakerebanaranai] Jinbun Shizen Ronso. Osaka Gakuin Daigaku Jinbunshizengakkasi. Vol. 23.・24. 53–72.
Nomura, Y. (2003). Modariti keishiki no
bunrui. [On the
Classification of Japanese Modal
Forms]. Kokugo
gaku. [The Study
of Japanese
Language.]. dai 54 (1), 17–31.
Okuda, Y. (1996). Bun
no koto [On clause]. Kyooiku
Kokugo [Educational
Linguistics] 2(22): 2–14.
Ono, S. (1981). Kadokawa rui go shin
jiten. [Kadokawa
New Synonym
Dictionary]. Tokyo: Kadokawashoten.
Onoue, K. (2001). Bunpoo to Imi
I. [Grammar and
Semantics
I]. Tokyo: Kuroshio.
Palmer, F. R. (1986). Modality
and the English
Modals. London: Longman.
Palmer, F. R. (1999). Mood
and Modality: Further
Developments. In K. Brown, J. Miller (eds.) Concise
Encyclopedia of Grammatical
Categories. Oxford: Elsevier. 235–239.
Palmer, F. R. (2001). Mood
and
Modality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Perkins, M. R. (1983). Modal
Expressions in
English. London: Frances Pinter.
Sawada, H. (ed.). (2014). Modality
I: Theory and Method. Hitsuji Imironn Koza
3. Tokyo: Hitsuji Shobo.
Shibata, T. and Yamada, S. (eds) 2002). Rui go dai
jiten. [Grand
Synonym
Dictionary]. Tokyo: Kodansha.
Suzuki, S. (1972). Nihongo Bunpoo・keitai
ron. [Japanese
Grammar and
Morphology]. Tokyo: Mugishoboo.
Sweet, H. (1892/1900). A
New English Grammar: Logical and Historical. Part
I. Oxford: Clarendon.
Takanashi, S.. (1995). Joken setsuzoku keishiki ni yoru
hyoukateki fukugo hyogen – suruto ii, sureba, ii, shitara ii –
(Compound Forms
with Conditional Connectives). Handai
Nihongo
Kenkyu. Vol. 7. 39–54.
Tatsuki, M. (1990). Kino Bunpo ni okeru imi no atsukai –
beneficiary no kaishaku o megutte [Meaning in Functional Grammar -On the Interpretation
of the Beneficiary-] Doshihsa Daigaku Eigo Eibungaku
Kenkyu [Doshisha
studies in
English)] Vol. 51. 151–167.
Tatsuki, M. (1995). Ranku
sukeru ni kansuru ichikosatsu [On Rank
Scale]. Doshihsa Daigaku Eigo Eibungaku
Kenkyu [Doshisha
studies in
English] Vol. 65, 255–274.
Tatsuki, M. (1997).
Nichieigo ni okeru jososhi no kaishaku ni
tsuite: interpersonal meaning kara
mita mood and
modality [A
contrastive study of mood and modality in English and
Japanese]. Shuryu (Shuryu). Vol. 58. 127–142.
Tatsuki, M. (1998). Sentaku taikei kino gengogaku ni
okeru Finiteness ni kanshite – nichieigo hikaku taisho no kanten
kara [On the
Definition of “Finiteness”; A Contrastive Study of English and
Japanese]. Doshihsa Daigaku Eigo Eibungaku
Kenkyu [Doshisha
studies in
English] Vol. 69, 113–132.
Tatsuki, M. (2000). Teema / Reema no kaisyaku to suupura
teema: Puraagu gengo gakuha kara sentaku taikei kinoo gengogaku
e [The
interpretation of theme / rheme and the supra-theme: from Prague
School linguistics to Systemic Functional
Linguistics] Koizumi, T. (ed.) Gengo Kenkyuu ni okeru Kinoo
Syugi [Functionalism in Linguistic
Studies] Tokyo: Kuroshio, 49–73.
Tatsuki, M. (2004). Communicative Unit niyoru temabunsek;
The Kyoto Grammar no wakugumi
de
[Analyzing the Japanese Thematic Structure in a Communicative Unit”:
the Kyoto Grammar Approach] Doshihsa Daigaku Eigo Eibungaku
Kenkyu [Doshisha
studies in
English] Vol. 76, 1–20.
Tatsuki, M. (2008). Nichieigo no kateikei ni kansuru
kosatsu: the Kyoto Grammar ni yoru nihongo kateikei
bunseki [A System
Network of Japanese process Types: A Semanticization of Japanese
Verbs and Adjectives through the Kyoto Grammar
Approach] Doshihsa Daigaku Eigo Eibungaku
Kenkyu [Doshisha
studies in
English] Vol. 83, 69–98.
Tatsuki, M. (2013). Nichieigo setsufukugo niokeru jisei
hyogen nikansuru kosatsu: washa no jokyo no shiten toiu gainen o
toshite [A
contrastive analysis of the tense sequence of English and Japanesa
clause complexes: with special reference to the concept of a
viewpoint of situation]. Doshihsa Daigaku Eigo Eibungaku
Kenkyu [Doshisha
studies in
English] Vol. 90, 193–216.
Tatsuki, M. (2020). Negation
in Japanese: A new treatment of nai as a process
type in the Japanese transitivity network – A Kyoto Grammar
approach. In G. Tucker, G. Huang, L. Fontaine and E. McDonald. (eds) Approaches
to Systemic Functional Grammar: Convergence and
Divergence. Oakville, TN: Equinox, 252–268.
Teramura, H. (1981). Muudo no keishiki to
imi. [Mood forms and
meanings (3) – focus particles]. Bungei gengo kenkyuu. Dai 6 go,
Tsukuba daigaku bungei・gengogaku
kei, [Studies in
language and literature. Language. Volume
6]. 67–89.
Teramura, H. (1982). Nihon go no sintakusu to imi
I. [Japanese
syntax and meaning
I]. Tokyo: Kuroshio.
Teramura, H. (1984). Nihon go no sintakusu to imi
II. [Japanese
syntax and meaning
I]. Tokyo: Kuroshio.
Teruya, K. (2007). A
Systemic Functional Grammar of
Japanese, Two volumes. London: Continuum.
Teruya, K. (2017). Mood
in Japanese.
213–229. In Bartlett, T. and G. O’Grady. (eds.). The
Routledge handbook of Systemic Functional
Linguistics. London and New York: Routledge.
The National Institute for
Japanese Language Publications Series
XIV. 2004). Word List by
Semantic Principles, Revised and Enlarged
Edition. Tokyo: Dainihontosho.
Tokieda, M. (1950). Nihon bunpoo koogo
hen. [Japanese
Grammar
(spoken)]. Tokyo: Iwanami.
Ueno, T. Y. (1971). A
Study of Japanese
Modality. University of Michigan Ph.D. thesis.
von Wright, G. H. Jr. (1951). An
Essay in Modal
Logic. Amsterdam: North-Holland.
Watanabe. (1953). Jojutsu to Chinjutsu – Jojutsu
bunsetsu no koozo. [Jojutsu and
Chinjutsu.]. Kokugo gaku. dai 13・14
shuu [The Study of
Japanese Language. Series
13・14]. 20–34.
Yamada, T. (1936). Nihongo Bunpoo
Gairon. [A General
Introduction to Japanese
Grammar]. Tokyo: Hobunkan.
Yamaguchi, T. (ed). (2003). Nihongo dai
shisoorasu. [Grand
Japanese
Thesaurus]. Tokyo: Taishukanshoten.
Yamaoka, M. (2000). Nihongo no Jutsugo to Bun
Kinoo. [Japanese
Predicate and Sentence
Function]. Tokyo: Kuroshio.
Yamaoka, M. (2008). Hatsuwa Kinoo
Ron [Speech Act
Theory]. Tokyo: Kuroshio.
Cited by (2)
Cited by two other publications
Cheng, Shi
2023.
A review of interpersonal metafunction studies in systemic functional linguistics (2012–2022).
Journal of World Languages 
Nguyen, Thi Nhat Linh & Tuan Ly Phan
2022.
An analysis of the modulation system in Vietnamese from a systemic functional perspective and some suggestions for legal translation.
International Journal of TESOL & Education 2:5
► pp. 110 ff.

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 30 september 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.