Classical Japanese I: Grammar

Catalog description

This course introduces students to the fundamental grammatical forms of Classical Japanese (kobun), also known as Literary Japanese (bungo). Prior to the standardization of modern Japanese, bungo served as the official written form of the language from the Heian period through the mid-twentieth century and continues to influence contemporary Japanese poetry, as well as legal and business language. Students will gain an understanding of the historical development of Japanese across different periods while learning to distinguish the nuances of particles and to conjugate verbs. We will systematically study the core components of Classical Japanese using textbooks, excerpts from canonical texts, and supplementary materials. Grammar is taught through contextualized examples drawn from Japanese literary classics, while also reinforcing knowledge of modern Japanese. Students will practice translating short passages into English. (ASIAN-LL)