Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-04-18

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any OF our food, II is as much OF a trial
for them 10 eat our food as II Is for
us to eat theirs So she brought her
own japanese food. sea-weed, beam
paste. etc, and eats IL from her own
dishes in her room, sitting on the floor.
She eats her meals about half way be-
tween ours, so that she Is always ready
10 wait on U.S. And she Is the most
saving creature, we used to partly keep
the "kuruma's" family but left overs
are all served up In some appetlzing
way, and the "kuruma" Is neglected
Japanese servants are very respect
ful humble, indeed AT Mrs. Nray-
amas, where we visited not long ago,
every time the servant came into the
room she got down on her knees and
! touched her forehead to the floor. ours
! doesn't do this, though she would walt
on us hand and foot II we would have
! her, but she has lived with foreigners
| where servlity Is not required, and we
! try to treat her nicely, too. And in this
| We get into trouble sometimes. You
/ know there Is no other country per-
| haps, whore class distinction Is so
marked as In Japan. Entirely different
words are used In addressing superiors
and interiors, and If not different words
'honorifces' as they are called are
placed before the words or they have
different examinations 60 Is the hon
orincc placed before words Of Chinese
derivation. and 20" before words OF
Japanese. II you wished TO ask your
friend n he Is sick you would say go
hoyki de g02amasuka2' To a servant
you would simply say, "Byokl des ka2'
When we call on our friends, they say:
'Honorably deign 10 pass In, Honor
ably deign to sit down" Then they
begin TO pass us something to eat and
Keep this up all the time we are there
nearly, and then say, Excuse me for
being so inattentive TO you" We have
had callers bow low TO each one In the
house as they come in, are very cere-
monous all the while they are with us,
and when taking leave say, Excuse
my rudeness"
IRREGULARITIES OF LANGUAGE.
When Brother Grant had lumbago
a while ago young friend on meeting
him said Il heartily regret that you
are not well, and | ardently desire that
you may soon be entirely recovered"
When you want to say you are hungry,
this Is the phrase you would use Hon
orable inside has become empty" which |
IN japanese Is, 20 naka gasukimashita
degozamasu."
We always offer our visitors fruit. |
etc. but we got nervous waiting for |
them to take II until we learned re- |
Gently that IL Is considered polite 10 |
retuse three times ana then take what |
Is offered, One japanese gentleman |
who has Travelled considerably says |
our customs are quite different. la |
America the first time they passed |
him the turkey he politely declined It. |
and they took It away and never
brought It back again
70 go back to the language. There
ere really three different languages
the language Of the court, the Ian |
guage OF the middle class and the Lam
guage OF the servants. We have had |
40 use for the first as yet. and would |
be perfectly satisfied to let the second I
answer for all; we do not object to
using the same words to say to a SER
want Good morning" Come ln,"
SIT down" etc, as we would in
speaking to the people who visit us as
equals such az officers in the army.
cur teacher etc, But IL we do this we
offend our friends they say II you use ,
the same words In speaking to ser
wants that you do In speaking 20 us,
you place US on level with servants.
Il Is rather hard on us, 1t Is bad
enough 10 learn one set Of words 10
express our meaning. but when We
nave to keep thinking all the time Of
being polite or too polite. or not polite
enough, Il is really a hardship.
While ! am on this subject | must
tell you some Of the funny mistakes
we have made. So many of the words
sound alike and are so nearly alike
that we get confused For instance:
kiku, Is crysanthemum, also the
verb TO hear;
XXI, Is air, also mountain gorge.
kaka, Is mother and we also have
for mother. haha, okka.san. bodo
ofukuro, according TO the degree OF re-
spect.
Kiko, Is climate:
kika, Is geometry:
haki, Is oyster, persimmon fence
haku, Is riile-target rank or sta
uon q guest corner, horn, a blow
with both heels given to a horse
disease of the stomach, and so contin-
Jung Tor a whole column In the die
tionary, and you have 10 Judge by
what you are talking about as to
Which meaning Is meant
The first week we were here we had
only learned about three words or
phrases, good morning. good bye.
thank you, and when we were out
shopping and quite stirred a woman Of.
iered Mrs. Ensign a chair and as she
sat down she said with pleasant
smile. Good bye" We were out of
rice one day and one OF the young men
went out to shop and astonished the
dealer by asking for some first class
dirt" Rice is "kome." dirt" Is
'goml," and they sound very much
alike TO beginners. My turn next; Il
was my day In the kitchen, and when
me butcher boy came | very gibly or
dered two and a half pounds on am
shine 10 hoil i" Meat 10 Goth, - -,