【No. 1043】A Desperate Japanese Homonym
Oct 26, 2017 21:23
Since Japanese has few sounds, there are so many homonyms.
Among them, the homonym that has the most number of different meanings is "koushou" (こうしょう).
Amazingly, "koushou" has 48 different meanings.
It is very hard for anyone to use all of them well in conversation, but fortunately the most common meanings of "koushou" are just the following three:
"交渉," meaning "negotiation."
"高尚," meaning "elegance."
"校章," meaning "school seal."
In my opinion, other meanings of "kosho" are professional or very formal, so they're not usually used.
Among them, the homonym that has the most number of different meanings is "koushou" (こうしょう).
Amazingly, "koushou" has 48 different meanings.
It is very hard for anyone to use all of them well in conversation, but fortunately the most common meanings of "koushou" are just the following three:
"交渉," meaning "negotiation."
"高尚," meaning "elegance."
"校章," meaning "school seal."
In my opinion, other meanings of "kosho" are professional or very formal, so they're not usually used.
絶望的な同音異義語
日本語は音の数が少ないため、多くの同音異義語が存在します。
その中でも、最も多くの意味を有する日本語は、「こうしょう」です。
「こうしょう」の同音異義語は、48個も存在します。
これら全てを会話で使い分けるのは至難の業ですが、幸いにも日常会話でよく使われる意味は以下の3つ程度です。
「交渉」・・・negotiation
「高尚」・・・elegance
「校章」・・・school seal
他の45個の「こうしょう」は、専門的であったり、非常に堅苦しい表現であったりするため、普段はあまり見かけません。
日本語は音の数が少ないため、多くの同音異義語が存在します。
その中でも、最も多くの意味を有する日本語は、「こうしょう」です。
「こうしょう」の同音異義語は、48個も存在します。
これら全てを会話で使い分けるのは至難の業ですが、幸いにも日常会話でよく使われる意味は以下の3つ程度です。
「交渉」・・・negotiation
「高尚」・・・elegance
「校章」・・・school seal
他の45個の「こうしょう」は、専門的であったり、非常に堅苦しい表現であったりするため、普段はあまり見かけません。
Corrections (2)
No. 1 NOR
- Since Japanese has few sounds, there are so many homonyms.
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- Among them, the homonym that has the most number of different meanings is "koushou" (こうしょう).
- Among them, the homonym that has the largest number of different meanings is "koushou" (こうしょう).
- Amazingly, "koushou" has 48 different meanings.
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- It is very hard for anyone to use all of them well in conversation, but fortunately the most common meanings of "koushou" are just the following three:
-
It is very hard for anyone to use all of them well in conversation, but fortunately the most common meanings of "koushou" are just the following three:
Here you use "koushou", and below you use "kosho". I understand that either are valid in English, but you should choose one and be consistent.
Also kōshō might be useful.
- In my opinion, other meanings of "kosho" are professional or very formal, so they're not usually used.
-
In my opinion, other meanings of "kosho" are professional or very formal, so they're not usually used.
see above
Very interesting. I wonder if you could make an interesting sentence out of a lot of different uses of こうしょう
Thanks for the post!
Toru
Thank you so much for correcting my post!
> I wonder if you could make an interesting sentence out of a lot of different uses of こうしょう
Oh, it sounds interesting. I'll try it.
「高尚な校章を交渉で手に入れる。」
Reading: kōshō na kōshō wo kōshō de teni ireru.
Meaning: I get a magnificent school seal by negotiation.
Thank you so much for correcting my post!
> I wonder if you could make an interesting sentence out of a lot of different uses of こうしょう
Oh, it sounds interesting. I'll try it.
「高尚な校章を交渉で手に入れる。」
Reading: kōshō na kōshō wo kōshō de teni ireru.
Meaning: I get a magnificent school seal by negotiation.
NOR
Ok, but I bet we can do better. ^_^ My Japanese might be wrong, but...
公証人は工匠が鉱床から作っていた高尚な校章を厚相に交渉で手に入れた、哄笑している間に。
The public notary, while laughing loudly, obtained a magnificent school seal by negotiation with the Minister of Welfare, which was made by an artisan from an ore deposit.
Ok, but I bet we can do better. ^_^ My Japanese might be wrong, but...
公証人は工匠が鉱床から作っていた高尚な校章を厚相に交渉で手に入れた、哄笑している間に。
The public notary, while laughing loudly, obtained a magnificent school seal by negotiation with the Minister of Welfare, which was made by an artisan from an ore deposit.
Toru
Wow, it's amazing. Your Japanese is also excellent.
If I modify your sentence to reduce a slight uncomfortable feeling, it'll be something like the following:
公証人は工匠が鉱床から作っていた高尚な校章を、厚相との交渉で哄笑しながら手に入れた。
Wow, it's amazing. Your Japanese is also excellent.
If I modify your sentence to reduce a slight uncomfortable feeling, it'll be something like the following:
公証人は工匠が鉱床から作っていた高尚な校章を、厚相との交渉で哄笑しながら手に入れた。
NOR
Thank you for the correction, I appreciate it. ^_^
Thank you for the correction, I appreciate it. ^_^
No. 2 David
"交渉," meaning "negotiation."
"高尚," meaning "elegance."
"校章," meaning "school seal."
I've read that the main reason you couldn't replace kanji with hiragana due to all the homonyms. Okay, so kanji has a use in written Japanese. But how do you handle the homonym issue in spoken Japanese? You just have to hope that previous conversation provides enough context?
Koushou? Koushou spoils koushou.
Toru
Yes, if you use koushou, it's better to provide enough context (though koushou means negotiation in many cases).
By the way, when I read your question, I noticed an interesting fact.
交渉 (negotiation) is usually used as a verb, like "koushou suru" (negotiate), or a noun.
高尚 (elegance) is usually used as an adjective, like "koushou na hito" (an elegant person).
校章 (school seal) is used as just a noun.
> Koushou spoils koushou.
I imaged that "The school seal spoils the negotiation."
Yes, if you use koushou, it's better to provide enough context (though koushou means negotiation in many cases).
By the way, when I read your question, I noticed an interesting fact.
交渉 (negotiation) is usually used as a verb, like "koushou suru" (negotiate), or a noun.
高尚 (elegance) is usually used as an adjective, like "koushou na hito" (an elegant person).
校章 (school seal) is used as just a noun.
> Koushou spoils koushou.
I imaged that "The school seal spoils the negotiation."
David
I'm sorry. I thought it would be obvious. ;0)
School seal? Negotiation spoils elegance.
What do I think about the school seal? Its clearly an example that too much negotiation spoils elegance in design, obviously.
It's a classic example of the old saying, "Too many cooks spoil the soup."
I'm sorry. I thought it would be obvious. ;0)
School seal? Negotiation spoils elegance.
What do I think about the school seal? Its clearly an example that too much negotiation spoils elegance in design, obviously.
It's a classic example of the old saying, "Too many cooks spoil the soup."
Toru
Thank you so much for the explanation, I think now I understand what you meant.
The word "高尚 (elegance)" is usually used as an adjective by placed before another noun in Japanese, so I couldn't image that the object of the "spoil" was "elegance."
Thank you so much for the explanation, I think now I understand what you meant.
The word "高尚 (elegance)" is usually used as an adjective by placed before another noun in Japanese, so I couldn't image that the object of the "spoil" was "elegance."
David
I see the problem. We use elegant as the adjective. Elegance as a noun.
I see the problem. We use elegant as the adjective. Elegance as a noun.