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Self-addressed questions and honorifications: The case of Japanese daroo-ka/desyoo-ka

2022; Akadémiai Kiadó; Volume: 69; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1556/2062.2021.00446

2560-1016

Chen-An Chang,

Discourse Analysis in Language Studies

Abstract Japanese self-addressed questions (SAQs) are either marked with SAQ question particles (i.e. kana, yara ) or marked with modals daroo or desyoo . The present paper argues that the pragmatic profile of Japanese SAQs should not be limited to solitary contexts. The paper presents an experiment examining whether daroo-ka/desyoo-ka can be perceived as SAQs in the accompanied contexts. The results of the experiment indicate that Japanese SAQs can be felicitously uttered in the presence of a second (socially higher) person. Apart from the experimental study, this paper also presents a pilot study of comparing daroo-ka questions and plain information-seeking questions (i.e. those without daroo-ka ) in urgent situation contexts. The preliminary results shed light on the fact that Japanese native speakers interpret daroo-ka questions as canonical questions in the performance of indirect speech acts.