The Essential Concept of Mono in Japanese Language

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Other Title
  • 日本語における「もの」の根源的概念
  • ニホンゴ ニ オケル モノ ノ コンゲンテキ ガイネン

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Abstract In this paper, the author gives a detailed explanation to the concept of mono in Japanese language to clarify its essential significance. The notion covers so broad a conceptualized area; for instance, it means a particular thing, things in general, personal feeling, sacred things, the mysterious, the uncanny, the eerie and the unearthly, and so on. It seems there are such various meanings in the notion that it is difficult to see the abstract concept of mono, which should be highly comprehensive and essential. In the author's view, the hyper-categorial, abstract meaning can be made clear if we take the following two points into consideration; one is the diachronic notion of mono, and the other is the one within the phenomenological lived space of subjectivity. The abstract concept of mono is characterized as <dynamic mobility> and <otherness>, and the concept would have various meanings in the context of the phenomenological lived space, which is perceptually signified in the directions by the subject based upon the subject's body as center. When a Japanese speaker captures it in "front", it would mean an objective, definitely discreet thing. When they capture it in "back", it would signify a mysterious, horrible thing. "Side" is related to personal feeling/mood, and "above" is to the holy. The author also introduces other Japanese notions of omote, ura and kage, and clarifies why mono is captured as specific objective reality in "front", although its abstract concept is <dynamic mobility> and <otherness>.

6

KJ00007248399

Journal

  • GAKUEN

    GAKUEN 846 17-27, 2011-04-01

    東京 : 光葉会

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