Resolving the problem of Japanese 'no': An analysis of words.

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to determine the function of no and its place in Japanese Grammar in order to resolve heretofore unsolved problems concerning no. Initiated with this purpose, this dissertation presents an analysis of Words in Japanese with the idea of linguistic analysis based on functors and arguments within the framework largely drawn from Steele (1986), (1987), and (1988). For the formation of Words, we propose a set of rules which is defined in terms of a set of syntactic features which diverges considerably from previous works. Features in our work are not associated with such terms as N or V, but with finite closed-class elements such as particles and tense, from which features it is possible to predict the semantic generalization. Further, it is demonstrated that finite closed-class elements have an important syntactic function associated with them. Case particles are now considered as occupying a position which prenominal determiners have been taking, in the sense that they are a necessary element in an NP. However, they are not considered as a Word, but as part of the morphology of a Word, like other particles. This involves the idea that a Word is determined purely on phonological grounds as a pitch unit. On the base of these fundamental assumptions, our new approach to no enables us to account for every occurrence of no simply and elegantly.