Japanese Honorific Suffix plus questions

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Basher, Dec 26, 2006.

  1. Basher

    Basher Mad Writing Skillz

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    To me one of the most fascinating things in the Japanese language is the politeness. Compared to English honorific which is only Mr., Sir, Mrs. Ms., Dr., Coach, Master, and position inside a company. Now a day’s mainly children use it unless the person wants, or needs something. But that isn’t the point.

    Anyway I wanted to discuss the Japanese Honorific title. First let’s start off with the basic. I have seen titles for company, criminals, and many others. I pulled these from wiki.

    Take note that these are said after the name unlike before the name as in English honorifics.

    - San: is the most common honorific title, used when addressing most social outsiders, for example, non-family members. San is used unless the addressee's status warrants one of the other terms mentioned below.

    -Kun: is an informal and intimate honorific primarily used towards males (It is still used towards females, but rarely.) It is used by persons of senior status in addressing those of junior status, by males of roughly the same age and status when addressing each other, and by anyone in addressing male children. In business settings, women, particularly young women, may also be addressed as kun by older males of senior status. It is sometimes used towards male pets as well.

    - Chan: is the hypocoristic suffix, used to refer to children, animals, and people whom one has known since they were children. To use chan for adults whom one has not known since their childhood requires considerable intimacy, less for women than for men. Furthermore, attaching chan to a modified stem is more intimate than attaching it to the full form of the basic name. Chan may also used for celebrities as a title of affection.

    -Sempai: is used by students to refer to or address senior students in an academic or other learning environment, in athletics and sports clubs, and also in business settings to refer to those in more senior positions.

    -Kōha: is s used to refer to or address juniors, though it might be considered somewhat insulting or overly condescending in some circles to refer to someone as kōhai directly.

    - Sensei: s used to refer to or address teachers, practitioners of a profession such as doctors and lawyers, politicians, and other authority figures. It is used to show respect to someone who has achieved a certain level of mastery in an art form or some other skill.

    - Sama: is the formal version of san. This honorific is used primarily in addressing persons much higher in rank than oneself and in commercial and business settings to address and refer to customers. It also appears in words used to address or speak of persons or objects for which the speaker wishes to show respect or deference, such as okyaku-sama (customer) or Tateishi-sama (a stone revered as a deity).

    - Shi: is used in formal writing, and sometimes in very formal speech, for referring to a person who is unfamiliar to the speaker, typically a person known through publications whom the speaker has never actually met. For example, the shi title is common in the speech of newsreaders. It is preferred in legal documents, academic journals, and certain other formal written styles. Once a person's name has been used with shi, the person can be referred to with shi alone, without the name, as long as there is only one person being referred to.

    -Dono and tono: roughly mean "lord". This title is no longer used in daily conversation, though it is still used in some types of written business correspondence. It is also seen on drug prescriptions, certificates and awards, and in written correspondence in tea ceremonies.

    I know that -bozu is informal way of saying the term "kid" or "squirt" for boys.

    Also when there is -[blank] (nothing said after name) means the speaker has the permission to address that person in a very intimate way.


    I have a few questions. Is it Sempai or Senpai? I have heard Sempai in anime but Senpai is what wiki had.

    Also is it Kohai or Kōha or are both of them correct?

    I heard Inuyasha say -baba is that correct as saying a rude way to say old?
     
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  2. seiji

    seiji Member

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    When a Romaji describes, Senpai (先輩) is more right.
    In addition, be Kouhai (後輩)when a Romaji describes.
    I Think that Kohai is right, too.
    Often omit u of Kouhai by a Romaji well.
    Baba is came from 婆 of a grandmother and old woman (お婆さん) call be persons.
    An infant calls Obaba (お婆) for grandmother and Ojiji (お爺) for grandfather (お爺さん:祖父) well.
    ^_^:)
     
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  3. Basher

    Basher Mad Writing Skillz

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    thanks you. This is great. xD
     
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  4. Hitokiri_Gensai

    Hitokiri_Gensai Gunslinger Girl

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    OI basha-san!

    Tono and Dono are actually different titles as a note. Tono is an old world title meaning "my lord" where as Dono is more of an older honorable prefix that is similar to "san"

    as mentioned, baba, is similar to jiji, in meaning (jiji means "old man" and can be used either as spitefully or intimately)

    Senpai and Sempai, are both correct, although sempai is the common pronunciation, that being the romaji spelling

    uhhh what else... oh yeah, Oosaka dialects say "Han" instead of "San" when saying a name, its a trade mark of the area.
     
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  5. seiji

    seiji Member

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    Senpai must be correct in the spelling of the Roman alphabet. m is not of the ending of a word in the Roman alphabet like sem.
    However, sempai is often in the pronunciation of words in Japanese if it refers from the pronunciation. I am at least pronouncing sempai. :p

    The pronunciation of words in Japanese changes terribly when thinking
    with the Osaka valve.
    Can the description of roma-ji have correct commonness when thinking by
    the standard dialect to the end?
    I feel and am fearful as Kansai valves fight. ^^;:)
     
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  6. seiji

    seiji Member

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    In that case it becomes "Babaa" and "Jijii" though it is correct.;)
     
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  7. Basher

    Basher Mad Writing Skillz

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    So it's babaa and jijiii not baba and jiji?
     
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  8. seiji

    seiji Member

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    Word that shows purely aged in Japanese person Baba "婆"Jiji"爺" It is babaa"婆(あ)!"jijii"爺(い)!" emphatically in the expression badly said. " I think that it shows because it strengthens.

    However, I cannot declare clearly in linguistics.
     
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  9. Basher

    Basher Mad Writing Skillz

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    It helps a lot. Thanks. :D
     
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  10. b-tuvs

    b-tuvs Member

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    Konnichiwa!!!

    Welcome to the boards... Well as you can see many of the people here just come by and go, but most of them are very friendly, don't be shy to post your stuff ok? :)
     
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