Colloquialism of 100 Years Ago

Yesterday, I didn’t read even a sentence of “Sophie’s Choice.” Instead, I concentrated on “Ko-jin (行人, 1912-1913)” and “Shared Responsibility and Unshared Power.” Now I’m half way through “Ko-jin,” appreciating it more than before. What’s obvious to every reader of it is the colloquialism it employs. It is interesting to see how the way people speak has changed over some 100 years. This is not only because in the first place my own accent is quite different from the one the characters, who are from Tokyo, use. They, the mother, brothers and elder brother’s wife, talk among themselves not so much with formality as with clear traces of politeness. And an impression I gather is the lack of rapid-fire talks. After all it was still the era of “kuruma (俥)” and the electric railway system was just in its infancy. With these, the pace of society was no doubt so much slower than now and conversations were allowed to be long-winding. (Once again, I realise I was born in the wrong period.) However, a slow pace of society does not fully explain this change of colloquialism.

Other obvious points include the usage of “kanji (漢字),” particular expressions and punctuations. A few examples are 「見詰めながら」「眼を眠った」「疾うに」「到底も」「不断の」. Even though these are still “acceptable” they are no longer widely used. As for punctuations, an editor would add more commas (、) or move them for the sake of readability.

By the way, the sound of “yadoya (宿屋)” somehow reminds me of my childhood and makes me yearn for a night or two at one, wearing “yukata (浴衣)” and enjoying nice, authentic sashimi dinner with beer/shochu/sake, after a refreshing hot bath.

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The work BC talked about some days ago has gone to Japan. He informed me today and he doesn’t know why. All the same, I can only thank him for his effort to get it for me. He’s done a great deal to extend a big helping hand to me.

Psychology of expectation: visualise it, then it is yours. On the other side of the same coin, think it’s yours, expect greater disappointment.

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Miss Q came again. How irritated I become by her casual comments is amazing…