A Study of Vegetable Terms in Japanese Language Based on Ethnosemantics

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate vegetable terms and analyze how to build the words that refer to vegetable terms. The framework of study is based on ethnosemantics. The data were collected from dictionary and website in Japanese to relate to review of Japanese food, and analyzed by using componential analysis and folk taxonomy. The results of this study were found the use of terms to differ following the feature of vegetable:1) state of the vegetables ‘s being; 2) the parts of vegetable for eating;3) the preparation of vegetables for cooking; 4)the cooking method; 5) the eating method 6) to eat accompanying with 7) the method of food preservation The 131 words of vegetable terms are analyzed and considered from word formation found that as word used and unused modifiers and loanword. The Japanese vegetable words were reflected world view and the system of Japanese thought, belief, the way of life.