Kindaichi Kyōsuke

Kindaichi Kyōsuke

Kindaichi Kyōsuke ( Japanese 金田一 京 助 ; born May 5, 1882 in Morioka ( Iwate Prefecture ); died November 14, 1971 ) was a Japanese linguist and folklorist.

life and work

Kindaichi Kyōsuke studied linguistics at the University of Tokyo and graduated there in 1907. From 1908 he received an assistant position at Kokugakuin , from 1922 he worked there as a professor. In 1958 he became assistant professor at the University of Tokyo, from 1941 to 1943 professor there.

Kindaichi devoted most of his life to studying the Ainu language. He left numerous publications on this subject, including "Ainu yoishi yūkara no kenkyū" (ア イ ヌ 叙事 詩 ユ ー カ ラ の 研究), 2 volumes in 1931, such as "Epic poems of Ainu - research on Yukar". This is a valuable written version of Yukar, i.e. Ainu sagas that were originally only passed on in recitation.

His studies of the Japanese language are also highly valued, including "Kokokushi keitō hen" (国語 史 - 系統 編) - "History of the Japanese Language - Summary of Lines". There is also the collective edition of his writings, "Kindaichi Kyōsuke zenshū" (金田一 京 助 全集), 1960 to 1962.

In 1954 Kindaichi was honored as a person with special cultural merits and awarded the Order of Culture . In 1962 he received the Mainichi Culture Prize .

Kindaichi was buried in the Zōshigaya cemetery .

literature

• S. Noma (Ed.): Kindaichi Kyōsuke . In: Japan. An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Kodansha, 1993, ISBN 4-06-205938-X , p. 784.

Web links

Commons : Kindaichi Kyōsuke  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . Thus Kindaichi is the family name, Kyōsuke the first name.