JAPANESE PHILOLOGY

Knowledge and Understanding:

The student of the second course in Japanese Philology should be already familiar with the modern Japanese language and be able to identify every single element or part of speech in a sentence, in order to read, to understand, and to translate excerpts from classical texts.

By the end of the course, every student is expected to be much more confident in reading and translating sentences in classical language and in Sino-Japanese style (kanbun). A part of the course will be devoted to study, analyze, and translate different texts, which, in their turn, would enable the student to gain competences in deciphering the ancient language. The course will also provide an introduction to the Early modern Japanese Palaeography.

The course in Japanese Philology will give students the chance to get familiar with Chinese Characters, Classical Japanese and Japanese-Japanese Dictionaries.

Applying Knowledge and Understanding:

The course in Japanese Philology is designed to give students a systematic and intensive introduction to the grammar of classical Japanese and Sino-Japanese prose, so that each one of them will be able to read ancient texts employing the dictionaries. Moreover, they will gain competences in linguistic and glottology. They will also be able to recognize the basic structures and to compare them with their modern counterparts. The study of the classical language will improve their command of written Japanese, as many of the structures of the so-called kogo, the classical language, are employed also in contemporary formal writing contexts.

Making Judgment:

Studying the classical language will enable the student to think about the language evolution. Furthermore, by reading and analyzing texts and excerpts coming from different sources, dating from different periods, students will also have the chance to think about a very long literary tradition.

Communication Skills:

Studying the classical language often constitutes an unrepeatable chance for improving knowledge and competences in contemporary language speaking skills. Students involved in a Japanese Philology course acknowledge a general improvement in their command of modern Japanese language. By reading old texts, they will be able to get familiar with a different context.

Learning Skills:

The course will enable students to cope with Japanese old texts. This will be a great challenge and, at the same time, an opportunity of personal enrichment.

Frontal teaching, practice activities and written exams.

The course aims to study in depth the classical Japanese grammar, the Sino-Japanese style (kanbun), and to guide students to the comprehension of excerpts from famous literary productions of the ancient, medieval and premodern era. The course is divided into three didactic sections, intended to explain the main grammatical structures of the classical Japanese and the main structure of the Sino-Japanese style. At the end of each unit, students are required to pass a written test whose votes will result in the final evaluation. An oral examination is provided only for those who could not attend classes, and for those who consider unsatisfactory their results. The course will also provide an introduction to Japanese Palaeography.

Ichiko, Teiji, Otogizōshi. Iwanami bunko, 1987.

Jippensha, Ikku, Tōkaidōchū hizakurige, vol. I, Edo: Eiyūdō (Murataya Jirōbee, 1802).

Kasama eiin sōkan kankōkai, Jiten kana: shutten meiki. Kasama shoin, 2009.

Komai, Akira, Rohlich, Thomas, An Introduction to Classical Japanese. (Chapters 4.1 – 4.11)

Komai, Akira, Rohlich, Thomas, An Introduction to Japanese Kanbun. (Chapters 1-6)

Mizuno, Minoru, Santō Kyōden no kibyōshi. Yukoshobo, 1976.

Nomura, Hachirō, Ujishūi monogatari. Nihon koten zensho, 1955.

Rai, Seichi, Nihongaishi. Iwanami Shoten, 1969.

Dictionary:

Maeda, Kingorō, Satake, Masahiro, Ōno, Susumu, Kogo jiten, Iwanami shoten, 1990.