The aim of this research was to investigate the occurrence of rendaku in Japanese place names based on two aspects: the region in which a name occurs and the final element of the name. By using a...Show moreThe aim of this research was to investigate the occurrence of rendaku in Japanese place names based on two aspects: the region in which a name occurs and the final element of the name. By using a database from the Japan Post, 39 place names that showed variation in rendaku occurrence were investigated. It was expected that rendaku would occur in place names according to a core periphery model, where place names located in the core area would have a higher rendaku rate. The results showed that for many names, the rendaku rate was higher in the more central Kanto, Chubu or Kinki areas compared to the peripheral areas. Furthermore, it was expected that rendaku in names ending with the same element would show a similar geographical distribution across Japan. The results showed that all names ending with kawa behaved similarly, while for other elements the rendaku pattern varied per individual name. This thesis therefore concludes that rendaku in Japanese place names occurs according to a certain pattern, although this pattern varies per name. Further research, especially regarding accent patterns, is necessary in order to explain the variation of rendaku in Japanese place names.Show less
There are many irregularities regarding rendaku (sequential voicing) in Japanese surnames (Sugito 1965, Kubozono 2005, Tanaka 2017). A characteristic of Japanese surnames is that the final...Show moreThere are many irregularities regarding rendaku (sequential voicing) in Japanese surnames (Sugito 1965, Kubozono 2005, Tanaka 2017). A characteristic of Japanese surnames is that the final consonant of the first element of the name determines whether rendaku occurs. It is possible to categorize these surnames based on the natural class in which the consonant belongs. This classification can explain rendaku in surnames to a certain extent, but there are still many irregularities within a category and even within specific surnames, where names can occur both with and without rendaku. Therefore the purpose of this research is to have a clear overview of rendaku in surnames by investigating the variation within a category and within specific surnames. The first aim of this research is to investigate whether the rendaku rate depends on dialects, since an informal report of the Nikkei Shinbun suggests that a few surnames undergo rendaku more often in East Japan (Iwasaki 2013). The second aim of this research is to further investigate the occurrence of rendaku within a category in order to explain the irregularities. Furthermore, it is investigated if there is a connection between the regional variation of rendaku and the category to which a surname belongs. In order to investigate this, 231 native speakers of Japanese filled out a digital questionnaire in which they were asked for the region they came from and to convert 80 surnames written in kanji into hiragana. The results indicate that the region seems to determine variation within a surname. However, there is no connection between a category and regional variation. This thesis presents three possible explanations for the irregularities within a category. Firstly, the word type of the first element might have an effect on rendaku. Secondly, for some morphemes it is lexically specified whether they undergo rendaku or not, regardless of the category. Thirdly, external factors such as the names of people in the surroundings or well-known place names might also influence the results.Show less