Paper short abstract:

The basic function of personal pronouns is to indicate the object, but sometimes it functions as a strategy to convey the emotional attitude. By examining the usage of the personal pronouns as a communication strategy, we aim at clarifying the characteristics of the personal pronouns in Japanese.

Paper long abstract:

The basic function of personal pronouns is to indicate the object, but it also functions as a strategy to convey the emotional attitude of speakers especially when it is used exceptionally. For example, in Japanese, when the co-speakers are little children, the speaker can use the first-person pronouns to address them, such as (1). According to Suzuki (1972), this phenomenon is based on the empathetic identification with children.

(1) Boku ikutsu? (*How old am I (are you)?

However, observing actual usage suggests that the use of the first-person pronouns to a co-speaker is not explained by this usage only but it can be classified into several cases, each of which has a different effect. Firstly, there is a usage called "baby talk", made when the co-speaker is a person who cannot physically talk, such as a baby or a pet. Secondly, in Japanese, utterances like (1) are commonly used to address an unknown co-speaker. In those cases, since the use of the second-person pronouns like Anata or Kimi is restricted in Japanese, they serve as temporary nickname. Already, those two uses are born from different factors and have different effects in the communication.

In this paper, in addition to these cases, we would like to point out another usage which imitates the previous co-speaker's utterance, as example below.

(2) Teacher 1 (male): A kurasu no tantōsha tte dare? (Who is in charge of Class A?)

Teacher 2 (female): Aa, hai atashi desu! (Oh, yes, I am.)

Teacher 1 (male): Hai hai atashi ne. (*Okey it's me (you)

We sometimes use the first-person words in such a way, and this usage is accompanied by an affectionate attitude toward the co-speaker and an effect that teases the co-speaker. This is a function completely different from the original function of indicating the co-speaker, but rather a function that indirectly conveys only the empathetic attitudes to co-speakers, like hammering and echo utterances.

Based on such exceptional usage, we clarify the function of personal pronouns as a communication strategy and the characteristics of the personal pronouns in Japanese that enable it.