2009 Volume 5 Issue 2 Pages 31-46
It is sometimes the case that after a word formally used in the central dialect of Japan spreads to the surrounding and outer regions, the meaning of the word undergoes a unique semantic change in each region. This paper uses the word ezui to demonstrate differences in semantic development. Ezui was originally used in the central dialect of Keiki (Kyoto and its surroundings) during the medieval era, to express "a fear of an object, to the extent of feeling discomfort." However, after its diffusion to the encompassing regions, the semantic development occurred differently between eastern and western Japan. In the Kanto region, the meaning of ezui developed gradually in the following pattern: "a fear of an object, to the extent of feeling discomfort">"(simply a) feeling of discomfort">"a feeling of difficulty in performing an act">"physical uneasiness." In the Tohoku region, the semantic development of ezui advanced even further, changing from "physical uneasiness" to "mental uneasiness;" this semantic change did not occur in the Kanto region. In western Japan, ezui maintained the original meaning of the central dialect in some areas, but in other areas, it changed into a degree adverb or an attribute adjective. In conclusion, with ezui, the difference in semantic development shows that in the east, the Kanto region greatly influenced in the Tohoku region, and in the west, the different regions developed independently.
