Two types of -su in Japanese and its pragmatic meanings

Abstract

   The purpose of this paper is to study su, a colloquial variant form of the copula verb in Japanese. The form has been regarded as an abbreviation of copular verb desu and used mostly by young males in a casual and friendly speech/interaction. For example, they may say 5-ji ssu (it’s 5 o’clock) instead of 5-ji desu. This form has been regarded as a new type of honorifics, showing respect and familiarity at the same time. Through its more popularity and wider use, however, this colloquial form has acquired a new meaning. Instead of showing respect to the hearer, the new type of su may convey an impression that the speaker is a person being carefree and much less polite.

   In this paper, these two types of su are examined and it is assumed that the new type of su is no longer a copula variant but a discourse marker, implying the speaker’s feelings or attitude toward the proposition denoted by the utterance. It is also suggested that the meaning discrepancy between these two types may be accounted for within the Relevance Theory framework.