The Lexicon of Kochi Japanese. A comparative analysis between Japanese natives and Japanese non-natives of Kochi

Abstract

The present thesis seeks to answer via categorization through lexicon if there is any permeation of the Kôchi dialect of Japanese into non - native regional languages in the area, particularly Kôchi City. A survey concerning the lexical awareness of the Kôchi dialect was conducted at Kôchi University, which included members of the student body and faculty. Tosa - ben vocabulary in the four subcategories, nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs, receive relatively poor recognition among respondents of regional affiliation other than that of Kôchi prefecture. The category expressions however receive a markedly higher degree of recognition attributed to the category’s contextual information and unique character within the same group. The lexical awareness of the Kôchi dialect is limited among young generations not native to the Kôchi region.