FUNKTIONERNA AV “DE” I KYOTODIALEKTEN. En lingvistisk analys av den satsfinala partikeln ”de” förekommande i Kyotodialekten

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the functions of the sentence-final particle de as it appears in the Kyoto dialect, focusing on four sentence structures, namely declarative, imperative, interrogative and hortative sentences. The study was conducted using basic linguistic theory and relying on the same theories as my primary sources. We conducted interviews with four informants native to Kyoto and thereafter comparing the results of the interview to data collected for the use of the particle in both the Osaka and Okayama dialects, as well as standard Japanese. The results show that the main use of de is in declarative sentences, with the suggestions that the particle may be used in interrogative sentences as well as hortative sentences. We also show how the use of different intonation patterns may change the meaning of de.