earticle

영어

Reflexive constructions are typically not used in the direct passive voice, which characteristically expresses a change occurring to the direct object of the action (as intended by the agent), distinct from the agent. However, Japanese has seen cases where reflexive constructions are naturally accepted as direct passive forms, albeit with limited usage, and these have attracted considerable attention. Previous analyses of Japanese body-part reflexive passives have largely fallen into two categories: those focusing on the reasons why the individuality of body parts is satisfied (Nitta 1982, Kogusuri 2017), and those focusing on the affectedness of body parts―that is, the effects they undergo due to another’s actions (Hosokawa 1990). The purpose of this paper is to focus on how speakers construe changes occurring to the object of an action and to provide a detailed description of the meaning expressed by body-part reflexive passives. Analysis reveals that body-part reflexive passives primarily express either (i) noteworthy changes in the state or position of body parts (§5.1 and 5.2) or (ii) psychological changes in the recipient of the action accompanying a change in the position of a body part (§5.3). This semantic classification indicates not that these meanings exist independently, but rather that there are various instances where the object of the action is construed independently. From the standpoint of this paper, representing changes in the object of action that are worth describing signifies that attention to the object of action is maximized, and this is also considered to be the fulfillment of the distinctness of the object of action.