Notes of the Editors of the 1998 Fourth Edition
II. Summary of Publications
II.1. Regional and Social Varieties of Japanese
II.1.3. Language Survey in Turuoka City, Yamagata Pref
Language Survey in Turuoka City, Yamagata Pref.
地域社会の言語生活 ―鶴岡における実態調査
Report 5, 1953. Shuei Shuppan（秀英出版） 309p ［ＰＧＬ］
Language Survey in Turuoka City, Yamagata Pref.:
After 20 Years from the Preceding Survey
地域社会の言語生活 ― 鶴岡における20年前との比較
Report 52, 1974. Shuei Shuppan（秀英出版） 332p ［ＰＧＬ］
Turuoka City in Yamagata Prefecture (530 kilometers by train north from Tokyo, on the coast of the Japan Sea) had 40,000 inhabitants at the time of the survey. Situated on the Syônai Plain, it plays the same role as Sirakawa City in relation to the neighboring districts.
The first survey covered a wide range of aspects of the linguistic life of people living in Turuoka City and its categories centered around the issue of the standardization of the language of regional societies. With respect to language standardization, we patterned this survey after two previous surveys conducted in Hatizyôzima and Sirakawa City and established a method for investigation and a model for the standardization of the language dependent on a variety of social factors.
In the second survey we continued the discussion on language standardization that was started in the first survey. This survey was conducted approximately 20 years after the previous one (the first survey was conducted in 1950 and second in 1972) in the same region using the same approach, in order to examine the progress of standardization of the language in the regional society during this period.
As we expected, the results clearly indicated that the language had become considerably more standardized during these 20 years, and a
great difference in the degree of standardization, especially with respect to age, was observed. Specifically, in the first survey we demonstrated that the degree of standardization was greatest in the age group which centered around 30 years of age and that it decreased as the age of the informants increased over and decreased under 30 years of age. We interpreted this to show that standardization progressed fastest in the most socially active age group. However, the results from the second survey showed that at least for informants between the ages of 15 and 69, the younger the informant, the more rapidly standardization had progressed.
As is stated in Report 52, these results can be interpreted to indicate the existence of four stages by which the speech of people in regional societies becomes standardized. Stage 1 is the stage where all the members speak almost entirely in dialect; stage 2, as was observed in the first Turuoka City survey, is the stage where standardization is most rapid in the most socially active age group, ranging from the mid-20’s to mid-30’s, and is less for speakers older and younger than this age range; stage 3, as observed in the second Turuoka City survey, is the stage where younger speakers exhibit greater standardization; and the final stage 4 is the stage in which almost all of the members of the regional society speak the standard language.
This progression applied not only for the language as a whole but also for individual linguistic features. Accent, which is said to be highly resistent to standardization, was still at stage 2 in the second Turuoka City survey while the standardization of KWA to KA and, to a lesser extent, SYE to SE, had already reached stage 4 at this time.
The second survey is particularly notable for the incorporation of new statistical methods in the analysis.
The survey in Report 5 was directed by NAKAMURA Mitio, SIBATA Takesi, IITOYO Kiiti, KITAMURA Hazime, SIMAZAKI Minoru, YAMANOUTI Ruri, KINDAITI Haruhiko, ASAI Erin, MORIOKA Kenzi, and ZYÔKÔ Kan’iti of the National Language Research Institute and HAYASI Tikio, AOYAMA Hirozirô, and NISIHIRA Sigeki of the Institute of Statistical Mathematics.
The survey in Report 52 was directed by IWABUTI Etutarô, NOMOTO Kikuo, IITOYO Kiiti, TOKUGAWA Munemasa, HONDÔ Hirosi, SATÔ Ryôiti, NAKAMURA Akira, TAKADA Makoto, EGAWA Kiyosi, MURAKI Sinzirô, WATANABE Tomosuke, and TAKADA Syôzi of the National Language Research Institute and MINAMI Huzio (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies), SUZUKI Hirohisa (Tokyo University Newspaper Research Institute), KURASAWA Susumu (Tokyo Metropolitan University), and HAYASI Tikio, NISIHIRA Sigeki, SUZUKI Tatuzô, HAYASI Humi, TAKAHASI Kazuko, HIRANO Hideko, ÔTAKA Mitiko, and TOKINAGA Sayako of the Institute of Statistical Mathematics.
II.1.4. A Descriptive Study of the Turuoka Dialect:
The Third Language Survey in Turuoka City, the 1st Report
鶴岡方言の記述的研究 ―第３次鶴岡調査 報告１ Report 109-1, 1994. Shuei Shuppan（秀英出版） 306p
［ＰＧＨ］
At the National Language Research Insititute we have been conducting social surveys over intervals of approximately 20 years since 1950. Our primary objective is to clarify the actual situation and social factors related to the process of standardization of dialects in the midst of the rapid social change which has occurred over the half century since the war. Due to the need to have a detailed description of the traditional dialect upon which to base change in research on dialect standardization, we conducted a survey of characteristics of the dialects of Turuoka City and surrounding regions in the First Survey in 1950.
More detailed data related to the description of the dialect system can be found in that report. Amidst the overall academic advancement in the academic world during the 40 years that have passed since the First Survey, areas related to procedure which need to be delved into further have surfaced. In addition, results of the Second Survey in 1972
indicated that standardization is proceeding at a rapid pace, and suggested that a Third Survey conducted after another 20-year interval would be the last chance to survey the traditional dialect. This being the case, we once again conducted description research on the traditional dialect to serve as the base for understanding problems related to standardization. The present research contributes to advancement in the field of description dialectology by going beyond records of old dialects prior to standardization, and it is expected that results will be actively used in related fields as proof of the theory backed by specific data. This is a description and report of the survey of the traditional dialect which we conducted with the above objective.
The following is a summary of the contents of this report and the respective authors.
Chapter 1. Outline of the Study
Aims and Procedures of the Study (EGAWA Kiyosi, ÔNISI Takuitirô)
The Position of the Turuoka Dialect (INOUE Humio)
Chapter 2. The phonological System of the Turuoka Dialect (INOUE Humio)
Chapter 3. Accent in the Turuoka Dialect (NITTA Tetuo)
Chapter 4. Declensions of Verbs, Adjectives and Adjectival Verbs of the Ôyama Dialect in Turuoka City (ÔNISI Takuitirô)
Chapter 5. Tense and Aspect in the Turuoka Dialect (SIBUYA Katumi) Chapter 6. Usage of the Case Marker sa in the Turuoka Dialect: a
Comparative Study with the Standard Language (SATÔ Ryôiti) Chapter 7. Expressions of Giving and Receiving in the Turuoka Dialect
(SINOZAKI Kôiti)
There is also an index at the end of the volume.