Forward to Ainu Conversational Language Dictionary(translated from Modern Japanese by Sarah Rumme)
Kanazawa Shozaburo, B.A., is a learned scholar of linguistics, originally from Osaka. He visited
Hokkaido about four times between 1895 and 1897, staying for a total of 150 days. There,
Kanazawa researched the Ainu language, edited the “Moshihogusa” (published in the Tokyo
Geographical Society Journals), and researched Batchelor’s Ainu dictionary. He also complied
this dictionary based on the materials which he had collected during his field research.
Kanazawa’s achievements in Ainu research during his studies at graduate school are clear in thisbook. I have read this book extensively and added some notes and suggestions, allowing me toadd my name to the cover of this dictionary. Although the Ainu people will go extinct in the notso far future, the Japanese people are not so keen on researching the Ainu language. Courses areoffered as optional courses at Faculty of Letters of Tokyo Imperial University, but they are notsufficient. If sympathizers would read Batchelor’s dictionary or translation of the Christian Bible
and take Kanazawa’s conversational dictionary into the field and research the Ainu, the fruits ofProfessor Ueda Mannen’s inclusion of Ainu language research into courses of Faculty of Lettersof Tokyo Imperial University will be apparent for the first time.
Jimbo Kotora
March 1898
TokyoLegend
I compiled this dictionary following the teachings of Professor Jimbo Kotora, D.Sc., and basedon my experience in researching the Ainu language. I hope that it will be a functional tool for
people hoping to travel to Hokkaido, and as a resource for comparing and researching Easternlanguages. Everyone knows that the Professor Jimbo is devoted to studies. He has spent greatsums of his personal money researching the Ainu language, and has continued to promoteresearch on the Ainu language. My mentor Professor Ueda Mannen has given me valuableadvice and suggestions on my research policy. It is with the kind advice of these two professorsthat I was able to compile this dictionary.
The style of this dictionary follows the German Meyer’s Sprachfuher, and functions as both adictionary and conversation phrase dictionary. When using it as a regular dictionary, the user
must find the topic of conversation from the index at the back.
The order of words differs slightly from a regular dictionary. First, the voiced sound line isplaced after the corresponding unvoiced sound line. Secondly, the semi-voiced sound is placed in
front of the corresponding voiced sound. Thirdly, the nasal sound and assimilated sound areplaced last.
The words, even if they are in a conversation, are provided as the most ordinary words and aredescribed as pronounced regardless of historical kana usage.
This dictionary was complied by selecting only commonly used words from the materials which1I collected in order to research the Ainu language from a linguistic prospective. Undoubtedly,
there are many shortcomings. I was not able to spend much time in the editing process, and many
word arrays are probably broken up. I eagerly expect corrections which may be made later.
I wish to express my gratitude to the owner of the Kinkodo for his help in publishing thisdictionary.
Kanazawa Shozaburo, B.A.
March 1898
Writing from Graduate School
Index
Visit
ComeWhoEnter
MeetBusy
ReturnPresentGive
Receive
WeatherSunnyRainWind
LightningBehavior
Rise / StandSit
Sleep
Meals / Diet
Eat
Drink
Food
Lunch
DinnerWalk
Walk
Day and NightDay
Dark
Light / Lamp
Cold / HotHot2Cold
Sickness
Sick
Bad
TravelDeparture
Separation
GoLuggage / Belongings
Horse
Ride
Carriage
BoatRoad
VillageMountain
BridgeLodging
Room
Inn
Sell and Purchase
Sell
Purchase
Price
Discount
Pay
Age
Lend and Borrow
Lend
Borrow
Dialogue
Tell / Say
Hear / Listen
Understand3