Classical Japanese

Catalog description

Introduction to classical Japanese language (kobun), a.k.a. literary Japanese (bungo). Based on the Early Middle Japanese of 9th-through-11th-century aristocrats, this language was in use well into the 20th century. It opens the worlds of storytelling noblewomen, poet-monks, love-stricken samurai, and modern Japan’s “founding fathers.” Its grammar reveals new ways to think about time, action, and experience. Its study affords you an enhanced command of the contemporary language. Parsing authentic passages from famous works, we learn to read premodern Japanese texts with the aid of dictionaries, commentaries, and digital resources. Prerequisites: This course is taught in English with an English-language textbook, although some supplemental resources are available only in modern Japanese. At minimum, completion of (or simultaneous enrolment in) intermediate modern Japanese is recommended. If in doubt, consult with instructor.