Lurker > DoGCyN

DoGCyN posted...

Wakarimas***a

lol at censoring if you have it turned on

ssjevot posted...

I would describe it as , Jidaigeki speak. It's like the fake old English as some posters have said. It's sort of this standardized way to pretend you are speaking old Japanese. It isn't always used on period pieces, but most of the time it is. It is much, much, much more similar to modern Japanese than the actual language spoken at the time.

Just to add onto other people's comments. It's not just words (like for instance not using modern loanwords and using more native Japanese words instead of Chinese-style Japanese words formed in the 1800s [using matsurigoto instead of seifu for government]), but much more so grammar. They like to use a fake old school Japanese grammar style, especially for verb conjugations. It's also not accurate to the actual style of the time, but it's the single most noticable aspect and what you mimic if you want to pretend to speak like that for comedy or role-playing.

Is the way they're saying "Understood" or "I understand" one of these things? I thought it was "Wakarimashita" but I keep hearing something different whenever our british friend says it and when he was taught to say it. Same with the Gozaimasu honorific (Is that considered an honorific?).

Wondering if these are just a different modern way of saying it, or one of these "old-timey" ways that has been described. Or something else.

Robot2600 posted...

they are speaking modern.

also, to be clear, changing a few words isn't "old english"

this is old english:

Hwt. We Gardena in geardagum,
eodcyninga, rym gefrunon,
hu a elingas ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scefing sceaena reatum,
monegum mgum, meodosetla ofteah,
egsode eorlas. Syan rest wear
feasceaft funden, he s frofre gebad,
weox under wolcnum, weormyndum ah,
ot him ghwylc ara ymbsittendra
ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
gomban gyldan. t ws god cyning.

Then there is middle english:

Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote,
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licur
Of which vert engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye,
So priketh hem Natre in hir corages,
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,

then there is just changing a few words, like thou and thine, and that's just modern english with a few old words.

Did not know that. Thanks!

Robot2600 posted...

it's not historically-accurate speech of the time, even if they use some phrases from the time period and strange old-timey ways of says some things.

it'd be like a fantasy show where everyone said "Good day!" instead of "Hello!" And instead of "bank" we say "Coinage vault" or w/e. that doesn't mean im speaking a new language. speaking in a british accent is not speaking in a new language.

I see. So if I'm putting everything together, them being longwinded and formal (post 2) makes it sound a bit more old-timey, but it actually isnt. They're using Japanese words, just in a different way, vs using what would be actual "old-Japanese".

Appreciate it yall!

Are they speaking what I assume would be modern Japanese? Or are they speaking what might be an older form of japanese (e.g. in older English, one might say "thou" in place of "you")?