Language contact between Japanese and Portuguese is not a recent phenomenon. During Japan’s “Christian Era” between 1549 and 1639, the introduction of foreign culture by Portuguese missionaries and merchants influenced not only such fields as religion, technology and art, but also the Japanese language. The language contact continued over the past centuries and reached a further peak at the beginning of the twentieth century. Up to this point, there still is a quite vivid interaction between Brazilians and Japanese for several reasons, which will be presented in the third chapter. Besides, the number of Brazilian residents in Japan and vice versa is so high nowadays that the contact between those two languages is practically inevitable.
The history of Portuguese-Japanese language contact is divided into three stages. These aforesaid stages will be discussed as follows: The first chapter deals with the first stage of language contact, which occurred in the sixteenth century in Japan. Chapter two is about the second stage of Portuguese-Japanese language contact, which occurred in Brazil at the beginning of the twentieth century. The third chapter deals with the third and last stage of Japanese-Portuguese language contact that began at the end of the twentieth century and still continues. This chapter is followed by a conclusion, a list of references and a declaration about the authenticity of the term paper. Although this subject is quite complex, the purpose of this term paper is to give a short overview about the sociolinguistic and historical significance of the Japanese- Portuguese language contact. Japanese terms are always written in rōmaji. For a better understanding, Portuguese terms, as well as Japanese terms, are always translated into English.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Language Contact in the Sixteenth Century in Japan
1.1 Historical Context and Reasons for Language Contact
1.2 Loanwords in Japanese and Portuguese through Language Contact
2. Language Contact at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century in Brazil
2.1 Historical Context and Reasons for Language Contact
2.2 Loanwords in Japanese and Portuguese through Language Contact
3. Language Contact since the End of the Twentieth Century
3.1 Historical Context and Reasons for Language Contact
3.2 Code-Switching and Loanwords in the Speech of Brazilians Living in Japan
Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the historical and sociolinguistic significance of language contact between Japanese and Portuguese, examining how these interactions have evolved over three distinct periods. The primary research question investigates the nature of linguistic borrowing and code-switching as manifestations of cultural and social adaptation between these two populations.
- Historical evolution of Portuguese-Japanese interaction from the 16th century to the present.
- Sociolinguistic analysis of loanword assimilation in both Japanese and Portuguese.
- Examination of the "Dekassegui" migration movement and its impact on language use.
- Function and socio-psychological implications of code-switching among Brazilian residents in Japan.
Excerpt from the Book
1.2 Loanwords in Japanese and Portuguese through Language Contact
Portuguese documents written by Portuguese missionaries in the sixteenth century contain several Japanese loanwords. The majority of these loanwords were cultural borrowings and direct loans that denote objects which only existed in Japan at that time (Kono 2001, 43). Hence, Japanese loanwords were a convenient way to express matters or describe objects that were of Japanese origin and for which the Portuguese had not yet had names. For instance, a Portuguese missionary named Luís Fróis used the term tatami, a traditionally Japanese floor mat made of rice straws, in the following passage of his book Historia de Japam (History of Japan), in which he describes his experiences as a missionary in Japan: “Forão em companhia daquelle fidalgo athé huma camara, onde el rey ordinariamente via os embaixadores e gente que vinha de fora; e, hindo diante delle, prostrados sobre tatamis, lhe fizerão duas vezes reverencia.” (It was in the company of that nobleman that they entered the chamber, in which the king usually met ambassadors and people who came from far away; and standing before him, prostrating over tatami mats, they reverenced him twice.) (Wicki 1976, 31). Further examples for Japanese loanwords, which were introduced into the Portuguese language at that time, are biombo (Japanese folding screen) and catana (machete).4 Significantly, these lexical items are still used in the Portuguese language.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the long history of contact between Japanese and Portuguese and establishes the three-stage structure of the analysis.
1. Language Contact in the Sixteenth Century in Japan: Discusses the arrival of missionaries and traders during the "Christian Era" and the initial lexical exchanges that occurred.
1.1 Historical Context and Reasons for Language Contact: Explores the interactions during Japan's Sengoku period and the political motivations behind early foreign contact.
1.2 Loanwords in Japanese and Portuguese through Language Contact: Details how objects and concepts were incorporated into the respective languages during the 16th century.
2. Language Contact at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century in Brazil: Analyzes the Japanese immigration wave to Brazil and the resulting cultural and linguistic adjustments.
2.1 Historical Context and Reasons for Language Contact: Examines the labor needs in Brazil and the social challenges faced by the first generation of immigrants.
2.2 Loanwords in Japanese and Portuguese through Language Contact: Focuses on how daily life needs led to new lexical borrowings and the phenomenon of code-switching.
3. Language Contact since the End of the Twentieth Century: Investigates the modern "Dekassegui" movement and the economic factors driving contemporary migration.
3.1 Historical Context and Reasons for Language Contact: Looks at the reverse migration of Nikkeis back to Japan due to economic shifts in the late 20th century.
3.2 Code-Switching and Loanwords in the Speech of Brazilians Living in Japan: Analyzes the current linguistic behavior and the usage of code-switching among the Brazilian community in Japan.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings and highlights the necessity for further research into the future of this complex linguistic interaction.
Keywords
Language contact, Portuguese, Japanese, Loanwords, Code-switching, Brazil, Japan, Migration, Dekassegui, Nikkei, Sociolinguistics, Linguistic borrowing, Cultural adaptation, 16th Century, Historical context.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines the historical and linguistic contact between the Japanese and Portuguese languages across three distinct time periods and geographical contexts.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The work covers migration patterns, the socio-cultural integration of immigrants, lexical borrowing, and the functional use of code-switching in bilingual communities.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to provide a sociolinguistic overview of how these two distinct languages have influenced each other through historical and economic migration stages.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The paper employs a historical and analytical approach, synthesizing existing literature, demographic data, and specific case studies of linguistic dialogue.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main sections analyze the 16th-century mission period in Japan, the 20th-century immigration to Brazil, and the late 20th-century "Dekassegui" return migration to Japan.
What are the key terms associated with this study?
The most important keywords include language contact, loanwords, code-switching, Nikkei, Dekassegui, and sociolinguistics.
How did 16th-century contact differ from modern contact?
16th-century contact was primarily driven by religious and trade interests, whereas modern contact is largely motivated by economic factors and labor migration.
Why is code-switching prevalent among Brazilians in Japan?
Code-switching is used for convenience to fill lexical gaps and expresses social and psychological dynamics between bilingual speakers in a new habitat.
How did the Brazilian government affect Japanese immigrants in the 1930s?
The government imposed strict controls, including prohibitions on education and publication in foreign languages, which heavily impacted the usage of Japanese.
Is the linguistic influence one-sided?
No, while Japanese has historically been more prone to borrowing from Portuguese, the relationship is two-tracked, with recent influences of Portuguese in Japanese media and daily life.
- Quote paper
- M. A. Yasmin Barrachini-Haß (Author), 2013, Portuguese-Japanese Language Contact. History, Linguistic Features and Socio-Cultural Impact, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/320535
