Abstract
This study is on the developmental changes in meanings of the Japanese qualitative and quantitative words (most of them are adverbs) by means of the paired-comparison method. The qualitative and quantitative words are classified on the basis of the following four categories of meanings:
(1) 18 words which express degree of common things (TEST I) ; sugoku, hijoni, taihen, totemo, kanari, etc.
(2) 16 words which express degree of probability (TEST II); zettaini, kanarazu, kitto, tashikani, tabun, etc.
(3) 16 words which express degree of frequency (TEST III); itsumo, yoku, tabitabi, tokidoki, mareni, etc.
(4) 18 words which express degree of psychological time-distance (TEST IV);
a. 10 words which express the future; suguni, imani, mamonaku, yagate, etc.
b. 9 words which express the past: toni, senkoku, sakihodo, ima, etc.
The subjects are required to answer the following questions.
For instance;
TEST I
a. taihen okii
b. yaya okii
TEST II
a. tabun kimasu
b. tashikani kimasu
The subjects are required to answer which means larger size (TEST I) and which expresses more probable meaning (TEST II).
The sublects are 2,588 4th grade children (10 years old), 2,379 6th grade children (12 years old), 2,617 8th grade children (14 years old), and 2,084 students. The results show that even the subjects of the same age vary in their interpritation of the qualitative and quantitative words, and the older subjects can understand more sharply the difference of their meanings.
