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57. are “that” is for things known to both speaker and hearer; sore “that” is for something just mentioned
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57 are “that” is for things known to both speaker and hearer; sore “that” is for something just mentioned Imagine you and your friend sitting on the grass in a sunny park. A small, solitary dog shows up in the distance. You might remark: Ano inu, kawaii-ne. “That dog is cute, isn’t it?” The dog runs to your friend and licks him/her and romps around, keeping a playful distance from you. You might now say: Sono inu, dare-no daroo. “I wonder whose the dog is.” The dog now comes to you and licks you. Its owner is still nowhere to be seen. You might wonder aloud: Kono inu, doo shiyoo. “What shall we do with this dog?” In the Physical Context When pointing at things in the physical context, the a-series ( ano, are, etc.) refers to a thing far from both the speaker and the hearer, as in the case of the dog in the distance. The ko-series ( kono, kore, etc.) refers to a thing in the immediate proximity of the speaker, as in the case of the dog when it is near the speaker in the above episode. The so-series ( sono, sore, etc.) refers to a thing in the remaining area, as in the case of the dog romping around. This can be represented graphically as follows: 149 speaker hearer In the Speech Context These demonstrative expressions can also be used for things not in the physical context, that is, when they are introduced in speech. The use of the ko-series is similar to the use of “this” in English in this context. The use of the a-series and the so-series needs closer attention. Let us use the episode of the mystery dog for this, too. Suppose that the owner finally appears and leaves with the dog. You and your friend may exchange the following remarks: Ano inu, kawaikatta-ne. Un, honto-ni ano inu, kawaikatta-nee. “That dog was cute, wasn’t it?” “Yeah, that dog was really cute.” Next you might go home and explain what happened in the park to your roommate. Sakki sugoku kawaii inu, kooen-de mita-yo. Sono inu, dokka-kara nigetekita -n-da. “I saw a really cute dog in the part a little while ago. The dog had run away from somewhere.” To which your roommate might reply: Sore, donna inu-datta? “What kind of dog was that?” The difference between the a-series and the so-series can be summarized as follows: The a-series is for things the speaker believes to be known to both speaker and hearer, as in the above case of the two friends talking about the same experience. In other words, the a-series expressions refer to things related to shared experience or matters previously discussed between the speaker and the hearer. The a-series expressions, therefore, can be brought up without any introduction so long as the speaker assumes that the hearer will know what is meant: (a daughter to her mother) Are, moo dekiteru? 150 “Is it already done?” [52.207.218.95] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 09:19 GMT) Because of this assumption of common experience or shared information, some a-series expressions can also be used as a kind of euphemistic code between close friends, as in the case of ano hito “that person” in the sense of “my boyfriend” or “my husband,” are “that” in the sense of “menstrual period,” and asoko “there” in the sense of “intimate part of the body.” The so-series, on the other hand, is for something just mentioned, as in the case of the conversation between the roommates above, and derives no such euphemistic expressions. Checking your comprehension: You and a friend are talking about a theatrical production of Mother Courage and Her Children which you saw together last month. How would you translate the word “that” in each of the following sentences where it appears? A: That was an excellent play, wasn’t it?” B: Yes, that is my favorite Brecht play. A: Have you seen his Galileo? B: That too is wonderful! A: Did you like The Good Woman of Setzuan? B: I haven’t seen that. What is it about? 151 ...