The structure of the japanese language

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The Structure of the Japanese Language is a foundational study in Japanese linguistics that applies generative-transformational grammar to the analysis of Japanese syntax. Susumu Kuno, a leading linguist at Harvard University, explores how Japanese sentence structure operates differently from English and other Indo-European languages. The book systematically examines the core components of Japanese grammar particles, verbs, case marking, and word order and explains their syntactic and semantic functions. Kuno analyzes how temporal and conditional clauses nominal and adjectival clauses , and deictic expressions (like “this,” “that,” “here,” and “there”) contribute to sentence meaning and grammatical relations. Throughout the work, Kuno investigates sentences that are “grammatically correct” in form but “unnatural” in actual Japanese usage, offering insights into the interaction between syntax, meaning, and context. His analysis provides an essential theoretical framework for understanding how meaning and structure interact in Japanese , bridging the gap between descriptive grammar and linguistic theory.

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