Words are indispensable for conveying feelings and requirements to others. Linguistic activities also affect how personality is formed. It is important to acquire the habit of using words properly on a daily basis.
The Cultural Affairs Agency has announced the results of its fiscal 2019 survey regarding the Japanese language. The rate of people who feel that "the Japanese language has not been properly used" was about 66%, down about 20 percentage points compared with 20 years ago.
When asked about their reasons for choosing the answer "the Japanese language is not being improperly used," the most common responses were "words change with the times" and "even if there was some misuse, there is no fundamental change."
With the spread of smartphones and social media, anyone can share information. As there are more opportunities to be exposed to various forms of expression, the number of people who are tolerant of language being used in different ways is increasing.
Even so, it is a problem if communication with another party is unclear or the other party feels uncomfortable. According to the survey, "the use of honorifics" and "unique expressions that young people like to use" ranked high among the respondents who felt the Japanese language is not used properly.
The term "yabai" has traditionally been used mainly by young people to mean "dangerous." However, recently it is used in an ambiguous manner to mean, for example, "interesting." It may be understood among friends, but depending on the generation of the other party or the situation, it could be interpreted in the opposite way.
Primarily, short sentences are often used in social media, making it difficult to convey intentions and feelings. It is important to carefully choose appropriate words according to the situation and use them properly.
The survey also asked respondents about the way new expressions and idioms are used.
Words such as "konkatsu" (marriage hunting) and "shukatsu" (end-of-life planning), which include the word "katsu" for activity, and words drawn from "harassment" such as "pawahara"(power harassment) and "morahara" (moral harassment) were familiar to a wide range of respondents.
On the other hand, regarding the expression "shikii ga takai" (literally meaning that the threshold is high), 29% of respondents knew the original meaning of failing to perform one's social obligations to another party, thereby finding it hard to visit that person's house or other places, while 56% believed that the expression is used when something or someplace is "too expensive to undertake or enter."
An agency official said that people are losing a sense of being ungrateful when they do not pay back someone who has done them a favor.
Language will continue to be in and out of fashion in the future, but it is essential to use it correctly in business and official places. You cannot teach a word to a foreigner if you do not understand the word well.
In order to develop a sense of language, it is necessary to develop a rich vocabulary by reading books from childhood onward. Through these works, it is possible to gain understanding and empathy for others.
It is worrisome that many high school and university students do not read books. It is hoped that they will have more opportunities to read books at home and at school. In order to nurture the ability to think deeply and develop a rich emotional life, it is important to face words squarely.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Sept. 30, 2020.
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