JAPANESE LANGUAGE, THE

The relationship of Japanese to other languages is not well understood even by native speakers, and, in 'The Japanese Language', Professor Kindaichi sets out to examine this. He concludes that Japanese is indeed only remotely related to other world languages, although it has many features in common with the languages of so-called primitive societies. After a brief discussion on the unique isolation of the Japanese language, the author considers the varieties of ordinary speech and the differences between informal, formal and literary language. These examinations, and the many others provided, will be invaluable to anyone interested in the mysteries of the Japanese language.