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How well do Japanese Subjects Know English Proper Nouns? Graduation ThesisPresented tothe Faculty of the Department ofEnglish Language and LiteratureNotre Dame Seishin University In Partial Fulfillmentof the Requirement for the DegreeBachelor of Arts byHiki Nakada2019Contents AbstractⅳChapter One : Background11.1 Introduction11.2 Types of proper nouns 21.2.1 Types of personal names 21.2.2 Place names41.2.3 Company names61.2.4 Why do people use nicknames?71.3. The origin and background of proper names81.4.What are the most common names inAmerica and England?91.5 Previous research 101.6 Research questions131.7 Conclusion 14Chapter Two : The Data152.1 Introduction 152.2 The experiment / questionnaire152.2.1 Introduction to the experiment / questionnaire152.2.2 Method15a) Subjects15b) Test design15c) Procedure162.2.3 Results172.3 Summary 29Chapter Three: The Analysis303.1 Introduction 303.2 Summary of the results from Chapter Two303.3 Comparing previous research313.4 Research questions323.5 Implications 333.6. Limitations of the Experiments333.7 further research343.8 Conclusion 34References36Appendices39 AbstractEveryone has a name regardless of gender, age, and country. Each particular name would have its own values. Are people’s attitudes about proper nouns different from country to country? This thesis will show how well Japanese subjects understand English proper nouns. In Chapter One, we started to learn about English proper nouns. At first, we looked at the definition of proper nouns. After that, we looked at the origins of proper nouns and the differences between Japanese names and non-Japanese names. We could get a lot of information here, so we conducted a questionnaire to compare the previous research to the questionnaire.In Chapter Two, the questionnaire asked Japanese subjects to divide various proper nouns into kinds of person, places, and businesses at first. After that, we asked them to decide if personal names were male and female. They also made short and full forms of personal names. Lastly, we asked them that how they were surprised that short forms and full forms are connected. From these questions, we could learn that Japanese had their own rules about proper nouns.In Chapter Three, we discussed results of the questionnaire in more detail. Also, we compared results of the questionnaire to previous research in Chapter One. As a result, we could find it is difficult for Japanese to understand the rules of foreign proper nouns because of a lack of knowledge.Chapter One: Background1.1 Introduction Have you ever thought about your name? What does it mean? Where does it come from? How many times do you use personal names in a day? Personal names are clearly precious for people. We receive first names from our parents, and they often give special meanings to our names. Recently, many children in Japan have unique names that didn’t exist in the past. Actually, there are those who have bad impressions of their own names. Some people think parents give “weird” names to their children because their names are unusual. However, would they feel that the names are also weird in the future? Names that sound weird now may be common in the future. Also, many Japanese would be not familiar with foreign names because we have few opportunities to use them practically. Japanese don’t know that there are many ways how to read “Michael” in each country. To recognize names might have something to do with the differences of languages.How are names connected with countries, generations, and especially languages? We suspect that not only personal names but also all proper nouns are greatly affected by various factors. Depending on them, people would recognize proper nouns differently.How do Japanese subjects recognize English proper nouns? This thesis will show what affects the recognizing foreign proper nouns. First, we will start to research about types of proper nouns.1.2. Types of proper nouns 1.2.1 What is a proper noun? Firstly, our definition of a proper noun is a word that we need to specify someone or something in our life. Without a proper noun, we can’t distinguish people and things individually in words unless we use a lot of words. Here is Merriam-Webster’s definition.“a word that indicates a peculiar living things or objects, doesn’t need a restricting qualifier, and is ordinarily capitalized in English — called also proper name” That makes sense. Proper nouns have two features. Proper nouns can specify someone or something by themselves, so they don’t need a modifier. Also, it’s important that the first letter of proper nouns is always capitalized anywhere in sentences in English. English proper nouns would need these two features.1.2.1.2 Types of personal namesThere are many types of personal names. Many Japanese do not know that foreign people have many kinds of names like middle names because Japanese have only first and last names or nicknames as personal names. Next, we will introduce four types of names. The website Behind the Name lists these types of names. Given (first / Christian) name - This is a name that is given to children from parents. e.g. James, Mary, JohnMiddle name - This is a name between a given name and a surname. e.g. Fitzgerald, AdamSurname (family / last name / patronymic ? matronym = a name that is inherited from mothers) - This is a father’s name that is inherited from generation to generation. e.g. Harris, Bell, Smith Nicknames (byname / sobriquet /moniker / diminutive) - There are several types of nicknames. Here are nicknames based on real names. e.g. Tony, Chris, PeggyThe difference between Japanese names and English names is that Japanese don’t have middle names, so Japanese would not be familiar with middle names. Next, let us look at Roman personal names. Georges (no date) says “Male citizens of the Roman Empire used three names. Three names (Praenomen + Nomen + Cognomen) consisted of three different types of name elements, in the following order:”praenomen - male’s resident’s name of Ancient Romenomen - The nomen or nomen gentilicium was the family or clan name. (Nomen means "name".) cognomen - Cognomen means "byname". A cognomen could be inherited, or could be a personal nickname. The Roman naming system was peculiar, unlike Japan. Nicknames were included as one of three Roman names’ elements. We learned that there were various systems of names depending on countries.Next, we will discuss forms of names. People often use short forms because we would feel that full forms are too long to call someone’s name. full form - a somebody’s whole name e.g. Edward, Nancyshort form - an abbreviation of a name e.g. Ed, NanSo, how do people come up with short forms from full forms? In Chapter Two, we would like to make clear this question from results of the questionnaire.1.2.1.3 Place namesThere are 196 countries in the world. Each country has a name. What do they mean? Stewart (2018) says place names are strongly affected by old history and immigrants, conquests and invasions. The original places’ names seem to change due to various influences as times go on. For example, what does "New York" mean? The website State Symbols USA describes as follows.“The British nobleman of York and Albany (and the brother of England's King Charles II) gave a name to New York in 1664 when the area that was known as New Amsterdam was taken out of the Dutch. Until the land became independent on July 4 in 1776, it was a colony of Great Britain.” The name of New York is influenced by people from colonists and its status as a colony. Also, London is based on the old Roman town of Londinium. Stewart (2018) also says other English places include Roman origins in their name.Lindum Colonia - Lincoln.Leodis - Leeds.Portus Felix - Filey.Oxonium - Oxford.Cantabrigia - Cambridge.Next, we will introduce differences between full forms and nicknames of places.full form - New York, Cidade de S?o Sebasti?o do Rio de Janeiro, Krung?thep?maha?nakhon? Amon?rattana?kosin? Mahinthar?ayutthay?a Maha?dilok?phop Noppha?ratratchathani?burirom? Udom?ratchaniwet?mahasat?han? Amon?phiman?awatan?sathit Sakkathatiya?witsanukamprasit (Bangkok)nicknames - The Big Apple, Rio, BangkokSo, why is New York nicknamed “The Big Apple?” It seems that there are various theories. The website New York sightseeing net explains as follows. In the early 1800s, there were receptions at which males often gathered. The males who were there called females “Apple.” The city that many beautiful “Apple” (women) was New York at that time, so New York was called “The Big Apple.”Compared to full forms and nicknames, we find that there are such big differences between them. Each nickname has an explanation for its origin. There are so many ways that people give nicknames to places such as City of 100 Spires (Prague) and Venice of the North (Amsterdam) according to Yastremsky (no date).1.2.1.4 Company (brand) names There are also so many companies all over the world, and some of them have their own nickname. Here is a comparison of full forms and nicknames.The website Walletpop.staff, tells some company names and nicknames.Full form – Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix Nicknames – Four Bucks (Starbucks),Wally World (Walmart), Mouse House (Disney), Mister Softee (Microsoft) Walletpop.staff, explains the origin for the store Neiman Marcus's nickname - Needless Markup as follows. “It might be the most profitable retail store for people with good incomes that customers hate. The store satisfies mainly females with good incomes and features designer lines that rival boutique (and beyond) price levels. Moreover, while some of the products are definitely expensive, some are not or appear to not be, but the prices of these items remain in the stratosphere -- and it is for this reason that the store was tagged with this nickname.”Like this, companies are given nicknames based the company’s features or policy, but the nicknames are based on prices here. Moreover, given nicknames mainly have something to do with the company’s name. 1.2.1.5. Why do people use nicknames?Firstly, we would like to make clear the reasons why we use personal names before we discuss nicknames. The website Behind the Name explains as follows. “Names are useful for several aims. To help distinguish us from one another is the most important. Imagine how difficult it would be to refer to people if we did not use names. Instead of saying "Bob" one would have to say something like "the short red-headed man who lives down the street". Some inherited names carry information about our roots, such as family or clan names.”The biggest point of using personal names is that we can distinguish and recognize each person by using only some nouns. Certainly, it’s difficult for us to call or family members and friends without proper names. Also, we might get some information about our names from our surnames from our ancestors. Next, we will discuss the reason why nicknames exist. Wright (2012) says as follows. “Names express a large proportion of ourselves. We use this to recognize and distinguish others with each other. Thus, a nickname can make close to people’s mind by using it. In society, nicknames can be both beneficial and pose a threat. Particularly for children, they help those burdened by the stuffy or bloated legacy names that are passed down generation to generation, as well as those whose names are hard to pronounce or have creative, unintuitive spellings. On the other hand, it is widely known how cruel school-age children can be to their friends. One terrible nickname uttered by the class bully can follow a child well into young-adulthood. No matter how hard some people try, certain nicknames are just inescapable.”According to her, nicknames are often more friendly than their normal names. However, nicknames can be used to hurt someone’s feelings, so we have to be careful. 1.3. The origin and background of proper namesSince when have we been using proper names? How different is the custom of naming from country to country? The website Behind the Name says as follows.“It is not known when humans first began using names, but the practical use is absolutely so previous, maybe a long time ago. Our most ancient wrote texts and mythologies that contain examples of names. Names almost always have an etymological meaning, implying that they were originally based on words.Although all cultures use names, naming customs vary greatly from person to person. In some cases they are very simple, such as those of many Indonesians who use just a single name. On the other hand, traditional Chinese naming practices were very complex. Chinese males were given different names at various points in their lives, in addition to a family name and sometimes a generation name.”Like this, using names is common for all cultures since ancient era, but the naming system is so different country to country. 1.4 What are the most common names in America and England?There have been some changes in common names over time and according to the fashion. In this section, we will compare names depending on times and countries. According to the website English Language Blog, we can see common names in each era in America.Table 1: the comparison of boys and girls’ common names in Americaboys in 2014boys in 1963girls in 2014girls in 1963JacobMichaelSophiaLisaMasonJohnEmmaMaryEthanDavidIsabellaSusanNoahJamesOliviaKarenWilliamRobertAvaLindaThe same names are not used compared to 50 years ago. Common names change as times go on.Next, the website Education First lists the common names in England as follows. Names that are common in America and England are underlined. Also, names that are common compared to 1900s are in bold.Table 2: the comparison of boys and girls’ common names in Englandboys in 2015 boys in 1900sgirls in 2015girls in 1900sOliverJakeAmeliaMargaretJackConnorOliviaSamanthaHarryCallumIslaBethanyJacobJacobEmilyElizabethCharlieKylePoppyJoanneThomasJoeAvaMeganGeorgeReeceIsabellaVictoriaOscarRhysJessicaLaurenJamesCharlieLilyMichelleWilliamDamianSophieTracyIn Table 2, there are two boys names the same compared to 100 years ago. If we compared the two tables, Jacob seems to be the most popular for a long time. We couldn’t find so many common girls names, so perhaps girls’ names easily change over time.1.5. Previous research How different are Japanese names and non-Japanese names? Next, we will compare Japanese names to non-Japanese names. According to the website sci.lang.japanFAQ, Japanese names and non-Japanese names coincidence sometimes. Table 3: the list of Japanese names and non-Japanese namesJapanese nameNon-Japanese nameNotesAkiAkiFinnishAnnaAnnaArisaAliceChikaChicaSpanishEmiAmyEmiriEmilyErikaEricaHana, HanaeHannahJōjiGeorgieJunJuneKaoriCoreyKeiKayKenKenMakiMakiFinnishMariMarie, MaryMarioMarioItalianMeiMayMiaMiaMikiMickeyNanaNanaFrenchNaomiNaomiEnglish. The spelling is the same, although the pronunciation is different.NobiNobbySaraSaraEnglish. The spelling is the same as Sara, although the pronunciation is different.ReiRayTamiTammyTeruTel (short form of Terrance)TomiTommyYuriYuriRussianCompared to Japanese names and non-Japanese names, almost all of the letters of names are different, but pronunciation often seems similar. Some foreign people’s names are close to some Japanese names. Naomi and Sara have the same letters, but they have different pronunciation.Moreover, the website sci.lang.japan FAQ explains the differences between Japanese pronunciation and English pronunciation as follows.“In the case of people's names, Japanese tends to transcribe into near-equivalent versions not based on the pronunciation. For example, the English name Sarah is often transcribed into Sara (サラ) rather than Sērā (セーラー). For example, American politician Sarah Palin is known as Sara Peirin (サラ?ペイリン) in Japan. Naomi is transcribed into Naomi (ナオミ), a common Japanese female name with a similar romanized spelling but different pronunciation, rather than Nēomi, a much closer representation of the pronunciation. For example, British model Naomi Campbell is known as Naomi Kyamberu (ナオミ?キャンベル) in Japan. Similarly, Thomas is transcribed as Tōmasu using a long first vowel, and even more extremely, Paul may be transcribed into Paoro.”We found that Japanese try to mimic foreign pronunciations not based on the original pronunciation in that language. Thus, pronouncing in the Japanese style creates differences of pronunciation between Japanese names and non-Japanese names. So, how are pronunciation of Japanese and English different? And how do the differences influence pronunciations? This website also says as follows.“Japanese has fewer vowels than English, only five, and thus multiple English vowels may turn into the same Japanese vowels. For example, both the English vowel /?/ in "thank" and the vowel /?/ in "cut" become the Japanese a vowel. Similarly, long vowels such as ɑ? in "far" and ?? in "fur" both become Japanese ā.”Japanese has only five vowels, so there are not many types of pronunciation compared to English. Japanese is forced to convert the pronunciation of English into Japanese which uses mora. As a result, the differences of pronunciations would happen. In fact, do Japanese try to apply Japanese pronunciation’ rules to English names? We will clarify this point in the questionnaire in the next chapter.1.6 Research QuestionsThis thesis has three research questions1. How difficult do Japanese subjects feel foreign proper nouns are?2. How do Japanese subjects come up with short forms from full forms?3. Do Japanese try to apply Japanese pronunciation’ rules to English names? 1.7 ConclusionIn this chapter we looked at the backgrounds of proper nouns. As we can expect, names are different depending on places, times, and each person. We found names have been with us for a long time and names reflect the closeness in our life, and nicknames are made based on the original names mainly. Also, there are so big differences of pronunciation between Japanese and English. When Japanese try to understand foreign names, how do differences of pronunciation affect this in fact? In Chapter Two, we will look at the data from a questionnaire and clarify this. .Chapter Two: The Data2.1 IntroductionIn Chapter One, we looked at names and how they are connected to our life. This chapter presents the data for a questionnaire about proper nouns. In this chapter, we will find how well Japanese understand proper nouns in detail. 2.2 The experiment / questionnaire2.2.1 Introduction to the experiment / questionnaireThis questionnaire asks how Japanese students recognize several types of proper nouns in English, and they can make full or short forms of the foreign personal names. 2.2.2 Method1) SubjectsThe subjects of the experiment and the questionnaire were 38, female 18-22 year English Department students at Notre Dame Seishin University and some 21-22 year old male and female Japanese students in other colleges. We gave the same tests to everyone.2) Test design This questionnaire is about proper nouns. It asked subjects to answer 6 types of questions. The questions are about personal, business, and place names. The aim of this questionnaire was to see how Japanese students react unfamiliar foreign proper nouns. There are questions about origin, gender, and forms of personal names. We would like to see how the subjects make short forms of foreign personal names and how the difference of pronunciation by language influences the subjects’ answers. We used proper nouns that are often used in English speaking world and we would have heard once. This is because we expect that the subjects would be easy to think over. Also, there are business and place names’ questions to find out whether they can divide several proper nouns into kinds of personal, places, and businesses. Contrary to personal names’ questions, we used unfamiliar names for Japanese to see how the subjects distinguish personal, places, and businesses names from only the appearance of spelling.3) ProcedureGoogle Forms was used to collect the data. There was no time limitation to fill it in. Moreover, subjects could answer the questionnaire anytime, anywhere. Firstly, 3 subjects who were 4th year English Department students at Notre Dame Seishin University piloted the test to check whether this test was appropriate. After that, they answered difficulty level and length of times and unclear points about the trial test. From their impressions, we reviewed the test again. Then, Google Forms was also sent to other subjects online. 2.2.3 ResultsThis table shows the proportion of subjects’ by genderTable 4: the data by genderfemale37male1Only one person was not female. In this Chapter, we will look at the data for the results for identifying the type of proper noun, gender of the names, origin of the names, short forms of personal nouns, full forms of personal nouns, and connection between short forms and full forms.2.2.3.1 Data for identifying the type of proper nounThese data determine whether the subjects can identify if the noun is personal, places or businesses names.Table 5: Are these proper nouns a person, place or business? The correct answers are in bold. businessplacepersonI don't knowAzerbaijan5.3%50.0%18.4%26.3%Dell15.8%31.6%26.3%26.3%Vivaan13.2%13.2%36.8%36.8%Grenada10.5%44.7%21.1%23.7%Nathaniel10.5%18.4%44.7%26.3%Lesotho18.4%15.8%21.1%44.7%Alliance52.6%10.5%15.8%21.1%Noah10.5%7.9%65.8%15.8%Bermuda18.9%45.9%13.5%21.6%Heineken 21.1%44.7%7.9%26.3%Huawei19.4%47.2%5.6%27.8%Emmanuel18.4%10.5%52.6%18.4%Chelsea13.5%40.5%29.7%16.2%Gabon16.7%38.9%13.9%30.6%Corona31.6%42.1%5.3%21.1%Haddy10.5%10.5%55.3%23.7%Haiti5.3%84.2%0.0%10.5%Hyundai23.7%39.5%13.2%23.7%Colgate36.8%13.2%7.9%42.1%Comoros27.0%24.3%10.8%37.8%Winnie15.8%15.8%42.1%26.3%The average percentage correct for places was 43.4%, for people was 46.7% and for businesses was 28.7%Haiti had the highest percentage of correct answers. The reason would be that it is a well-known place for Japanese maybe because members of the Japanese football team played against Haiti in 2017 and there was a big earthquake there, so many subjects might have answered it correctly. On the contrary, many subjects made mistakes with Dell and Lesotho, and about Lesotho the greatest number of subjects answered “I don’t know.” Many subjects answered "I don’t know” word proper nouns such as Dell, Lesotho, Heineken, Huawei, Chelsea, Corona, Hyundai, Comoros. These names were unfamiliar to Japanese probably. From this table, we learned that it’s hard for Japanese to recognize unfamiliar foreign proper nouns.2.2.3.2 Data for Identifying gender of the namesTable 6. Is this name male or female? The correct answers are in bold. femalemaleI don't knowMarko36.8%60.5%2.6%Bonnie65.8%31.6%2.6%Kiki97.4%2.6%0.0%Trind47.4%28.9%23.7%Caron63.2%23.7%13.2%Esperanza68.4%15.8%15.8%Kairi52.6%42.1%5.3%Anderson0.0%97.4%2.6%Bianca97.4%0.0%2.6%Kameron73.7%23.7%2.6%Vermont15.8%78.9%5.3%Pluto2.6%92.1%5.3%The average percentage correct for male nouns was 70.5% and for female nouns was 70.3%.The subjects’ answers seemed to be one-sided compared to other sections in this question. Also, compared to the former question, they didn’t choose “I don’t know” so much, and everyone answered either male or female about Kiki. The greatest number of subjects understood the gender of Anderson and Bianca from the written appearance. Moreover, the half of the subjects thought that Kairi was male. When they answered these questions, they would reproduce these names in their head not only see the names maybe. Thus, they would judge these names’ gender from pronunciation and the spelling. 2.2.3.3 Data for Identifying origin of the namesTable 7. What is origin of these names? The correct answers are in bold. SpanishGermanItalianScottishFrenchI don't knowBambi10.5%18.4%23.7%15.8%15.8%15.8%Juliet7.9%15.8%31.6%10.5%28.9%5.3%Alice0.0%13.2%2.6%31.6%44.7%7.9%Galileo18.4%28.9%23.7%13.2%5.3%10.5%Kelsi28.9%10.5%7.9%26.3%2.6%23.7%Morrison5.3%18.4%7.9%26.3%21.1%21.1%Coco26.3%13.2%7.9%13.2%18.4%21.1%Mio10.5%10.5%26.3%10.5%13.2%28.9%Mason7.9%15.8%2.6%10.5%44.7%18.4%Rio26.3%13.2%26.3%15.8%2.6%15.8%Oliver7.9%23.7%13.2%18.4%21.1%15.8%Emma0.0%34.2%10.5%15.8%34.2%5.3%The average percentage correct for Spanish was 21.0%, for German was 23.7%, for Italian was 23.7%, for Scottish was 26.3%, and for French was 31.6%. In this question, subjects wrote each various answers. Mio seemed to be difficult for them because most of them couldn’t select correct answer and percentage of “I don’t know” is the largest. 2.2.3.4 Short forms of personal nounsQuestion 1: Can you make the “short” forms of the name Edward? The correct answers are in bold.Ed63.2%Edo5.3%Edy2.6%Edown2.6%I don’t know.21%No answer5.3%The average percentage correct was 63.2%. The percentage correct but 5.3% were incorrectly spelled, but all answers had the letters Ed. Many subjects could answer correctly.Question 2: Can you make the “short” forms of the name Robert? The correct answers are in bold.Rob92.1%Bob7.9%The average percentage correct was 100%. Everyone could answer correctly. Subjects more than 90% answered Rob. This would be it was easier for them to use the head of Robert than Bob maybe.Question 3: Can you make the “short” forms of the name Nancy? The correct answers are in bold.Nan26.3%Niny2.6%Nac5.3%Ann2.6%I don’t know.63.2%The average percentage correct was 26.3% Many subjects didn’t know this name. This would be because Japanese are familiar with the name Nancy, but they hardly hear Nancy’s short forms.Question 4: Can you make the “short” forms of the name Mary? The correct answers are in bold.May15.8%Mei2.6%Mari2.6%Mar2.6%Mary5.3%I don’t know.71.1%The average percentage correct was 0%. This is the first question that all of the subjects couldn’t answer correctly, Moreover, the percentage of “I don’t know” is the largest. The answer is Molly or Polly, Mae. There was a subject’s comment that she didn’t know how to abbreviate short names like Mary. Question 5: Can you make short forms of the name Susan? The correct answers are in bold.Sue18.4%Suu10.5%Susie5.3%Susy2.6%Su26.4%Suzi2.6%Susa2.6%Suzy2.6%I don’t know.29%The average percentage correct was 18.4%. The percentage correct but incorrectly spelled is 36.9%. There were many types of answers in this question. Some subjects made mistakes to write Sue correctly. They understood correct pronunciation of the answer.2.2.3.5 full forms of personal nounsQuestion 6: Can you make the “full” forms of the name Dick? The correct answers are in bold.Richard5.3%Dicky13.1%Dickies2.6%Dicker2.6%Dickers2.6%Dicken5.3%Dickens5.3%Donald5.3%Dickend2.6%I don’t know.55.3%The average percentage correct was 5.3%. This question seemed to be so difficult. More than half of the subjects answered “I don’t know.” Subjects who could correctly might have known the answer. The subjects who didn’t know the answer changed Dick to various spellings. Question 7: Can you make the “full” forms of the name Bill? The correct answers are in bold.William13.2%Billian10.5%Bobby2.6%Billy15.8%Billie2.6%Billbard2.6%Billiart2.6%Billboart2.6%I don’t know.47.5%The average percentage correct was 29%. The percentage correct but incorrectly spelled was 2.6%. This was a common short form but about the half of the subjects answered “I don’t know.” They also made various types of short forms by using Bill mainly.Question 8: Can you make the “full” forms of the name Lisa? The correct answers are in bold.Elizabeth 13.3%Lisbon2.6%Lisabella5.3%Lillian2.6%Lalisa2.6%Lisamari2.6%Lisa5.3%Lisabel2.6%Lisabell2.6%I don’t know.60.5%The average percentage correct was 5.3%. This is the second question that almost all of the subjects couldn’t answer correctly. The answer is Melissa. The largest answer was Elizabeth other than “I don’t know”. Elizabeth’s common nicknames are Elly, Liz, and Beth. So, why did they answer Elizabeth? We assume that “liza” of Elizabeth look alike Lisa.Question 9: Can you make the “full” forms of the name Tom? The correct answers are in bold.Thomas34.2%Tomas21.1%Tormas2.6%Tommy10.5%Tomy 5.3%Tom2.6%Thompson 2.6%トーマス2.6%I don’t know.18.5%The average percentage correct was 34.2%. The percentage correct but incorrectly spelled was 26.3%. Many subjects could answer correctly including spelling errors. 2.6% of the subjects answered トーマス in Japanese. They would understand the correct pronunciation.Question 10: Can you make the “full” forms of the name Mike? The correct answers are in bold.Michael 50%Micheal2.6%Michel2.6%Mikel10.5%Mikle 2.6%Mickel2.6%Mickey2.6%Mike2.6%I don’t know.23.8%The average percentage correct was 50%. The percentage correct but incorrectly spelled was 20.9%. Just half of the subjects could answer correctly in this question. From Question 1 to 10, there were so many wrongly spelling answers. However, subjects tried to copy pronunciation of English names. As we learned from previous research in Chapter One, the subjects really converted English pronunciation into Japanese pronunciation in their minds. As they heard in Japanese style, they answered. Thus, many uncorrect spelling happened2.2.3.6 Connection between short forms and full formsTable 8. How surprised are you that these names are connected? The each highest result is in bold. very surpriseda little surprisedno surprisenot at all surprisedTony = Anthony15.2%36.4%24.2%24.2%Don = Donald3.6%46.4%28.6%21.4%Betty = Elizabeth50.0%11.5%23.1%15.4%Kate / Kathy = Katherine2.9%8.8%29.4%58.8%Leo = Leonald0.0%17.1%37.1%45.7%Peggy = Margaret86.2%0.0%6.9%6.9%Joe = Joseph13.6%36.4%50.0%0.0%Shelly = Rachel85.3%5.9%2.9%5.9%Res = Teresa78.6%3.6%10.7%7.1%The average percentage correct for very surprised was 37.3%, for a little surprised was 18.5%, for no surprise was 23.7%, and for not at all surprised was 20.6%.These questions seemed to be so one-sided depending on the names. Many subjects were surprised when short forms included different pronunciation comparing to the original full forms. The examples are Shelly and Peggy. They were also surprised when short forms had only middle pronunciation of full forms like Res. 2.3 SummaryIn this chapter, we looked at the data of the questionnaire. We can say Japanese have a habit of making short forms by abbreviating head letters of names. Also, they are not familiar with names that change from the original shape to completely different shape like Shelly. From Question 1 to 10, we found Japanese tried to apply Japanese pronunciation rules to English names. Even though the subjects are all Japanese, each of them has different feelings about foreign proper nouns as we saw in the last section. In the next chapter, we will review the data from Chapter Two and compare it with the previous research in Chapter One. Chapter Three: The Analysis3.1 IntroductionIn Chapter One, we learned about the relationship between people and proper nouns. In Chapter Two, we looked at the Japanese subjects' thought about names in English, so in this chapter, we would like to clarify the pattern and explain what happens in more detail.3.2 Summary of the results from Chapter Two In Table 5, we saw whether the Japanese subjects could divide many proper nouns into person, place, and business. As a result, we learned that the Japanese subjects understood proper nouns that they heard on TV news recently. However, they didn’t know proper nouns that they were not familiar with.In Table 6, we saw whether the Japanese subjects could distinguish male and female proper nouns. Almost all of the answers were one-sided, so Japanese might use the same sense that they judge gender of personal names in Japanese.In Table 7, we saw whether the Japanese subjects could understand the origin of personal names. They often couldn’t answer correctly in this section. We expect the reason is that many Japanese don’t hear foreign people’s name usually, so this seemed to be difficult.From Questions 1 to 5, we saw whether the Japanese subjects could make short forms from the original names. They could answer almost all of the names correctly, so the names that they made mistakes with stood out. They felt it was difficult to abbreviate short names. The reason that happened could be the Japanese tended to use the heads of the original names’ when they made short forms, but they don’t know the original names that are short from the beginning.From Question 6 to 10, we saw whether the Japanese subjects could make full forms from short forms. They were struggling with this section compared to the previous section because foreign personal names absolutely change the spelling from full forms to short forms beyond our expectations. The subjects could hardly be expected to connect William and Bill even if they knew both names.In Table 8, we researched how surprised the Japanese subjects were at connections between full forms and short forms in response to Section 6. After all, we learned that they were surprised at names that extremely changed the shapes.From the results of the questionnaire we learned that Japanese originally had their own sense about names, and they tried to apply their sense to foreign people’s names. Also, foreign people have their rules about names, so the two rules would be mutually exclusive.3.3 Comparing previous researchThe results of the questionnaire show that the Japanese try to apply the rules of names for Japanese to foreign names after all. This stands out most when Japanese make short forms from full forms. When we come to think of it, Japanese seem to take a few head letters when they abbreviate names. There was a TV drama “Nigeru wa hajidaga yakunitatsu” that was so popular in Japan in 2016. Japanese called this “Nigehaji” as a common nickname. Like this, there are rules that Japanese often use about names. Also, when the Japanese subjects changed from short forms to full forms, there were so many spelling errors. Chapter One’s previous research showed that the Japanese don’t have so many different sounds compared to other languages. To not make the spelling errors in Section 5, the subjects would have to have understood the full forms’ pronunciation, but they didn’t know the spelling. Thus, we found that they tried to match it to what they thought was the correct pronunciation.3.4 Research questionsThis section will answer the research questions from Chapter One. There are three research questions.Research question 1. How difficult do Japanese subjects feel foreign proper nouns are?As the Japanese don’t use the alphabet, but use three types of letters, (Hiragana and Katakana and Kanji) which are very different, so it’s natural that Japanese have different concept about foreign proper nouns.Research question 2. How do Japanese subjects come up with short forms from full forms?From Question 1 to 5 of the questionnaire, we can say that almost all of the subjects use original full forms’ letters as they are and they mainly use the head of names to abbreviate.Research question 3. Do Japanese try to apply Japanese pronunciation’ rules to English names?From Question 1 to 10, we found out the Japanese subjects applied Japanese pronunciation’ rules to English names because many subjects answered correctly only pronunciation, but they made spelling mistakes. From the previous research in Chapter One, we can say this happened because Japanese try to look for choices in a smaller set of pronunciation than English, so they would misunderstand and use the pronunciation they feel Japanese matches English. As a result, they had so many spelling errors.3.5 ImplicationsMany Japanese subjects tended to apply the rules of Japanese pronunciation to English nouns. However, each way of thinking about proper nouns is different even if everyone is Japanese. It’s important for us to recognize differences of proper nouns in each country.3.6. Limitations of the questionnaire There are several limitations with this study. Firstly, almost all of the subjects were female university students. Furthermore, almost all of them were majors in English in university. Secondly, all of the subjects were Japanese. Thirdly, the number of the subjects was only 38. Finally, the age of all of the subjects were 18-22.If someone conducts the questionnaire like this again, we should ask the same numbers of male and female. Moreover, we would like to hear opinions of subjects regardless of age and countries also. If so, we would be able to get better results.3.7. Further researchWe learned names have values and express ourselves. In this questionnaire, we didn’t ask subjects the answer meaning of their names, so it will be interesting to research the meanings of each name and nickname and the origin from many countries’ subjects. If so, we can know that many subjects give nicknames to subjects from every countries and ages.3.8. Conclusion In Chapter Three, we looked at the result of the questionnaire and discussed it in more detail. The answer to the question: “How well do Japanese Subjects know English Proper Nouns?” is that they don’t know English proper nouns so much unless they learn the foreign names on purpose. Otherwise, the Japanese subjects try to apply senses and rules of Japanese pronunciation or abbreviation to foreign names. As a result, big differences of spelling happen. Recognizing foreign proper nouns correctly might be difficult for us, and because we try to apply rules of our first language to foreign language unconsciously. Men and women of all ages and all over the world use proper nouns. The differences of recognizing proper nouns will definitely happen between each language. Therefore, it’s important to understand there are differences of proper nouns depending on each country and we should try to avoid applying our language’s rules. ReferencesABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group, Most popular names of baby boys in the Philippines. Accessed June 8, 2018Babycenter, Canada’s most popular names of 2017: Top 20 and trends. Accessed June 8, 2018Banerjee, S. 56 Short Forms We Use Every Day Without Really Knowing What They Stand For. Accessed October 6, 2018Behind the Name, Name. Accessed August 23, 2018Busse, T. Nickname Usage in an American High School. Accessed July 25, 2018Cambridge Dictionary, Meaning of “nickname” in the English Dictionary. Accessed May 2, 2018Census , Nicknames. Accessed April 20, 2018Education First, ENGLISH NAMES. Accessed September 25, 2018family education, English First Names. Accessed May 2, 2018family education, English Last Names. Accessed July 30, 2018Forbes, The World's Most Valuable Brands. Accessed June 8, 2018Gabriele, America’s most (and least) popular names. Accessed September 4, 2018Gambia Information Site, Names of People in Gambia. Accessed June 8, 2018Georges, U. A Simple Guide to Imperial Roman Names. Accessed October 1, 2018indy100, The most common given names in Europe, mapped. Accessed May 29, 2018Israel, D. The Origins of 10 Nicknames. Accessed October 18, 2018LIfesmith Classic Fractals, The Most Common Names in America. Accessed May 29, 2018Merriam-Webster,proper noun. Accessed August 17, 2018Navuluri, B. Top 100 Modern Indian Baby Boy Names With Meanings. Accessed June 8, 2018Nelson, B. and Badenhausen, K. America’s 100 Best Small Companies. Accessed May 30, 2018 New York sightseeing net, Big Apple New York. Accessed October 23, 2018One World Nations Online, Countries and Regions of the World from A to Z. Accessed May 29, 2018 RNZ, NZ's favourite baby names revealed. Accessed June 8, 2018sci.lang.japan, How do I write an English word in Japanese?. Accessed October 18, 2018sci.lang.japan, What personal names are the same in Japanese and other languages?. Accessed October 18, 2018Sport-histortorefr,English speaking countries. Accessed June 8, 2018state symbols USA, Origin of "New York". Accessed October 10, 2018Stewart, A. The Origins of English Place Names. Accessed October 11, 2018 Students of the World, Top 100 Australian names - Australia. Accessed June 8, 2018Students of the World, Top 100 Kenyan names - Kenya. Accessed June 8, 2018WALLETPOP STAFF, . 10 best company nicknames. Accessed July 31, 2018Wright, A. Why do we love to give people and places nicknames?. Accessed August 16, 2018Yastremsky, M. 30 City Nicknames from Around the World. Accessed October 30, 2018Appendicesa questionnaire about proper nouns(固有名詞)NameI accept that my data can be used for researchI agreeI disagreeAre you…?MaleFemaleOtherIs this proper noun a person, place or business?AzerbaijanDellVivaanGrenadaNathanielLesothoAllianceNoahBermudaHeineken HuaweiEmmanuelChelseaGabonCoronaHaddyHaitiHyundaiColgateComorosWinnieIs this name male or female?MarkoBonnieKikiTrindCaronEsperanzaKairiAndersonBiancaKameronVermontPlutoWhat is origin of these names?BambiJulietAliceGalileoKelsiMorrisonCocoMioMasonRioOliverEmmaCan you make the “short” forms of the name…?EdwardRobertNancyMarySusan, Can you make the “full” forms of the names…?DickBillLisaTomMikeHow surprised are you that these names are connected?Tony = Anthony, Don = DonaldBetty = ElizabethKate / Kathy = KatherineLeo = LeonaldPeggy = MargaretJoe = JosephShelly = RachelRes = TeresaDo you have any comments about these questions? ................
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