Comments on: In Her Own Words: Kimi Yamada, 1907

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:17:05 +0000

You loveable goofballs are welcome to play all you want. I just like sharing the joke.

By: Chad Too

Chad Too — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:56:47 +0000

Forgive us, Ardis. I guess we’re all just goofballs at heart.

The sense of what to call someone in Japanese honorifics is an art that takes a long time to develop and –for most of us Japanese RMs– a muscle that was once well-toned that we seldom get to exercise anymore.

…and I still like Kaimipono-dono.

By: The Teacher

The Teacher — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:53:52 +0000

Very sweet.

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:54:27 +0000

Mark’s right. I didn’t look that closely.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:57:58 +0000

Re: #12.

Sorry to break it to you, but “Your little Japanese friend” was a complete invention by Brother Taylor. It may well have been an apt description, but Kimiko didn’t write that.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:53:04 +0000

Wouldn’t Kaimi-chan be best of all?

(Chan is the children’s analog for “-san” which is the general honorific used in most speech. San is generally translated as Mr. or Mrs. or Ms. “Chan” would be used when talking to a little child, so Kaimi-chan would be sort of amusing.)

I wonder when he’s going to discover this thread.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:25:17 +0000

Ha! Are we seeing the birth of a new Bloggernacle legend here?

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:43:46 +0000

-dono comes from Tono, which generally is translated as “Lord”. It’s not used much in normal conversation, but it still is used in some business correspondences – especially between very powerful people. It is stronger than -san (generic title of respect) and usually slightly weaker than -sama (the honorific used to denote God [Kami-sama] – which, ironically, also is close to Kaimi).

Hence, Kaimi-sama would be as funny as Kaimiko.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:22:03 +0000

No, but funny. -sensei I get, but what about -dono?

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:55:07 +0000

-ko is feminine when added to names; -kun is masculine. Both denote childhood or familiarity/friendship. You wouldn’t use either for someone of higher social standing.

Sorry; not very enthralling or complicated.