The Use of Sentence-final Particle wa

Analyzing Data from Six Age Groups

Abstract

In this paper the use of sentence-final particle wa was examined using Meidai Kaiwa Corpus. The data from six age groups show the following points. First, 94 percent of women of age 60 and over used wa and its compound particles, wa, wa ne and wa yo all being frequently used. About 70 to 80 percent of women of ages 10 to under 60 used wa and its compound particles, but the frequency of their use was not as high as the first group. Among wa and its compound particles, women in this group used wa most frequently and wa ne next most often, while wa yo and wa yo ne were hardly used. About 67 percent of men in their 20s used wa and its compound particles, and the frequency of their use was slightly higher than for women in their 20s. It was observed that this younger generation used wa not only for expressing feelings, thoughts and facts, but also used wa in various situations such as stating opposing opinions, sympathizing, and speaking playfully and humorously.