Abstract
This paper reports the results of the 2020 Nationwide Survey on Changes in the Japanese Language. From the findings, the author presents the following points.
– When asked how to pronounce “青紫蘇”(green shiso leaves), those who use the rendaku (sequential voicing) form to say it “ao jiso” (not “ao shiso”) accounted for about 80% of the entire respondents.
– More than 90% of the entire respondents pronounce “片側” (one side) as “kata–gawa” (not “kata–kawa”), using the rendaku form.
– In case of “渓流釣り” (mountain stream fishing), nearly two thirds of the entire respondents chose “keiryuu–zuri” (not “keiryuu–tsuri”), using the rendaku form, but the figure for the respondents in their 20s was only a little over a half.
– For “立ち眩み” (dizziness), more than 90% chose “tachi–kurami” (not “tachi–gurami”), using the non–rendaku form, in all age groups.
–“飲み口” has two meanings: (1) taste or mouthfeel and (2) opening/lip/rim of beverage containers. About two thirds of the entire respondents pronounce it as “nomi–kuchi” in the non–rendaku form (not “nomi–guchi”) for both usages: (1) “飲み口がいい” as “nomi–kuchi ga ii” (“It tastes good” or “The mouthfeel is good”) and (2) “缶ジュースの飲み口” as “kan juusu no nomi–kuchu” (the lip of a can of juice), a clear difference in usage, rendaku or non-rendaku, depending on the meaning was not found.
