A Comparative Sociolinguistic Study of Japanese Origin Loanwords in Micronesia

Abstract

This paper describes a cross-linguistic analysis of the Japanese origin loanwords (JOL) in eight Micronesian languages. Differences in the level of influence from the Japanese language among Micronesian languages and the factors contributing to such differences have been largely unknown since the literature on this topic has mainly focused on analyses of single language studies. This paper examines the influence of the Japanese language as well as the Japanese rule in Micronesia by evaluating social, historical, and linguistic factors contributing to the varying number of JOL in the different languages. The results suggest that the overall number of JOL is influenced by differences in the 1) intensity of contact with Japanese people, 2) cultural distance before contact, 3) orientation toward cultural assimilation, and 4) prestige gained from using Japanese language. Analyses of the number of JOL in several semantic categories also suggest that the cultural influence of the Japanese rule is clearly reflected in the number of JOL in each category.