Preliminary Katakana Expression Research

こんばんは。

I had noticed that many of the Katakana expressions we had run into thus far in our reading sounded like English. And while there are many loan words ( 外来語 - gairaigo) from English, it is not by any means the only language; as with English there are words that have made their way from the French language, among others. It also struck me just how many I ran across just in a quick search. I suspect there are easily hundreds, if not thousand of such expressions

Also, it appears that by adding する to some katakana words, they can be made into a verb. For example,  オープンする (to open).

I am left wondering whether most of these words were borrowed because they reflect concepts that were introduced by a culture using the original language, simply because it was more convenient to adopt the borrowed term, or for some other reason.

 Here are a few of the words I saw in my searching:

Tour - ツアー
Email - メール
Cake - ケーキ
Post - ポスト
Oolong tea - ウーロン茶
Romantic Couple (from French 'avec') - アベック

A non-comprehensive list of Katakana can be found at:
https://www.duolingo.com/comment/25123230/20-Food-names-in-Katakana
https://quizlet.com/8003955/most-common-katakana-words-flash-cards/

Other resources
https://www.js-language.com/japanese-word-list-8-%EF%BC%8D-katakana-verbs-making-from-englsih-words/

http://www.macmillandictionaries.com/MED-Magazine/April2003/06-language-interference-loan-words.htm

ハイディ

かみきり

こんばんは。

On Wednesday, I attended the Kamikiri event. I arrived early, which was fortunate -- by the time it began, it was standing room only! I was very impressed by the performer's ability to make rather detailed figures in very little time. Although I was disappointed that my suggestion (ばけねこ - bakeneko, a shapechanging spirit cat) wasn't taken, it was a real treat to hear about Kaguya-hime, see his interpretation of the Sakura tree, and especially to see his prepared presentations to accompany the four songs.

I enjoyed this event and would be pleased to see another one like it!

ハイディ

What is かみきり?

Based on my preliminary research, here's what I am given to understand:

かみきり (kamikiri) is a form of Japanese papercutting performed before an audience. It is interactive; an audience member provides a suggested subject (or poses as one themselves), and the performer cuts out the silhouette of the suggested figure in a matter of minutes or even seconds. While cutting, the performer typically keeps talking, joking, or even singing to keep the audience engaged. The final result is typically given to the requestor/subject.

Since the designs are not rehearsed beforehand, the performer must have an extensive knowledge of images, including pop culture, in addition to great dexterity and speed.

This art form dates back to the Edo period. Something I'm curious about, but wasn't able to find in the course of my searching: is there any lore surrounding this practice or its origins?

If I get chosen, I think I'd like to request a mythological creature! I haven't settled on one yet, though...

じこしょうかい

こんばんは。

はじめまして。ハイディ(Heide)です。アメリカじんです。ノートルダムだいがく(University of Notre Dame)のスタッフ(Staff)です。だいがくいんせいじゃありません。どうぞよろしくおねがいします。

じゃあ、また。

Princess Mononoke

こんばんは。

In keeping with my promise to provide a show which may give a glimpse into culture, I have written the following. If I come up with a good modern cultural reference, I'll certainly share it!

Knowing about my enjoyment of mythology in media, a friend recommended もののけ姫 (Princess Mononoke) to me.

NOTE: Spoilers below!

As promised, there were nods to かみ (gods or spirits), but there was a central tension to the movie; a question that seemed to have been asked, but was left to the viewer to decide. The movie was exploring the idea of industrialization and its impacts on established ways of life.

The main character is forced from his home after an enraged boar spirit leaves him with a curse born of its hatred and pain. The curse would slowly kill him unless he can resolve it Within the boar's body was an iron ball; the sole clue to breaking the curse.

Human civilization had advanced to the point of working iron and even using gunpowder. Not only did they turn their backs on the spirits, some planned to destroy them and claim their power for themselves.

Many かみ, as well as San -- a human raised by the wolf god -- prepare for violent assault against these humans to defend themselves and their livelihood.

Is outright war inevitable? Which side will be successful? I'll leave you to find these answers, reader.

And while you watch, you may wish to consider what role industrialization has played in shaping human history, and how completely it has changed our own cultural identity, both for good and for ill.

じゃあ、また。

Week 3 Challenges

かんばんは。
It's now Week 3; that means it's time to review what my current obstacles. Next post will have the promised anime favorites. Sorry about the delay!

Week 3 Challenges

Most of my current challenges seem to be centered around hearing sounds properly. In particular, the root of all of my problems seems to be that in normal conversation (or even a class), when I hear Japanese spoken at a normal pace, I struggle to hear the rhythm, or the number of beats (or syllables) in each word, which makes  identifying long vowels or double consonants exceedingly difficult. Figuring this out will have to be one of my top priorities.


On a similar note, I'm having difficulty hearing the separations between words in spoken speech. This seems less limiting at the moment, as most exercises have a set pattern, and I know what to listen for. However, with time, I can see this becoming a limitation indeed. A better vocabulary could help equip me to face this, but that will take some time to develop, so in the interim, I will need to be better at differentiating words.



Finally (for now, at least), I've noticed that I've had difficulty dealing with the multiple forms of ん. Since it can take an 'n', an 'm', or an 'ng' sound, I have found that in some cases, it seems to blend with the following sound. For example, んが might have confused me. I think I'm starting to get a better sense of its use and differentiating it in speech, but I'll need to keep it in mind, for certain!

じゃあ、また。