The Role of the Japanese Word Nanka in Self-Disclosure

Abstract

This paper aims to examine why Japanese speakers use nanka in conversation and to explain how nanka functions in Japanese discourse. Specifically, nanka is observed in self-disclosure when speakers talk about their personal experiences. The data in this paper was collected from the “Mister O Corpus,” a cross-linguistic video corpus that focuses on conversation. In this instance, 26 pairs of female participants talk about the topic, “What surprised you the most?” for about five minutes. Using this data, 395 examples of nanka are examined, and classified according to co-occurring expressions.

First, nanka works to help smooth the progress of discourse while introducing new concepts. Second, nanka functions to show the speaker’s feelings of doubt, as in “It may be wrong, but my impression is...,” co-occurring with filler or repair words. Third, nanka is used with direct experiences, i.e. the speaker’s innermost feelings, which include inner speech, onomatopoeia and the direct quotation of utterances. Spontaneous expressions uttered with nanka show the speaker’s innermost feelings to the listener, as in “I may be wrong, but I feel like this.” Viewed in this light, nanka functions to advance discourse. Moreover, the use of nanka contributes to the verbalization of the speaker’s direct experiences. Consequently, nanka plays an important role in directly indicating the speaker’s innermost feelings to the listener in Japanese discourse.