Linguistic Characteristics and Human Rights Consciousness in Hurricane and Typhoon Nomenclature : Comparative Culture between English and Japanese Expressions

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  • Hurricane と Typhoon の命名法に見られる言語特性と人権意識 : 日英比較表現論の視点からの比較文化
  • Hurricane ト Typhoon ノ メイメイホウ ニ ミラレル ゲンゴ トクセイ ト ジンケン イシキ ニチエイ ヒカク ヒョウゲンロン ノ シテン カラ ノ ヒカク ブンカ

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Abstract

After 1953, serial numbers began to be used as a way of identifying the order of typhoon outbreaks in Japan, whereas personal names have been used for hurricanes in the United States of America. In 1953, women's personal names were adopted in naming hurricanes in the U.S.A., and in 1979, men's names were also adopted. Men and women's personal names have been used in turn in alphabetical order. This phenomenon expresses not only the height of American human rights consciousness, but it also reflects their custom of using personal names for addressing their brothers, sisters, parents, or even their bosses. This is related to a traditional use of English expressions that attach great importance to the person doing an action. The system of naming typhoons in Japan reflects the Japanese linguistic characteristic to use a person's job or status title, such as "an older brother [sister]" "father [mother]" "a department [section] chief" as an honorific title instead of a personal name. The difference of naming hurricanes in English and typhoons in Japanese is a reflection of differences in American and Japanese cultures. In Japanese culture, the relationship between two or more people is of greater importance, i.e., Japanese culture is status-centered, whereas in western cultures, the person is viewed as being central, i.e., American culture is human-centered, therefore agent-centered.

Journal

  • 研究論集

    研究論集 84 75-92, 2006-09

    Kansai Gaidai University

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