TOKYO - The Cultural Affairs Agency has, for the first time, surveyed how the spread of social media is affecting the Japanese language in its annual survey on public opinion regarding the national language, revealing that nearly 90 percent of respondents believe there is some impact.
One question asked whether people truly understood the original meaning of certain words. For example, “tsukanu koto” actually means “something unrelated to the conversation so far,” though many respondents were unsure.
Language has always evolved, and the rise and fall of words reflects the times. Expressions such as “kogal,” which became popular among high school girls in the late 1990s, or “MD,” Sony’s MiniDisc released in 1992, have already disappeared from dictionaries. Even “Famicom,” Nintendo’s 1983 home console, was among the 1,000 words removed from Sanseido’s Dictionary of Words That Disappeared, published in 2023. At the same time, new expressions continue to emerge with every generation.
In the latest survey, more than 70 percent of respondents said new words had increased with the spread of SNS. Teenagers gave examples such as “shabai,” used to describe someone being unavailable or the situation being “uncool,” and “aa-ne,” a shortened way of saying “naruhodo ne” (I see). Others cited “bari kakkee,” an emphatic version of “cool,” and abbreviations like “suki-pi” (short for “suki people,” or favorite person). Over 80 percent agreed that abbreviations are on the rise.
But the survey also tested whether people understood the original meaning of long-established words. One example was “yakubusoku.” While often used to mean “lacking ability,” its original definition is that a role is too small for someone’s abilities. Only 45.1 percent of respondents answered correctly.
Another word was “niyakeru.” Many in their fifties described it as smiling happily or sheepishly, but the original meaning is “to be effeminate or weak.” Respondents were surprised, though some recalled being told not to “niyakeru” when scolded at school.
Similarly, “shiodoki” is now widely taken to mean “the end of something” or “the time to give up,” with nearly half of respondents using it that way. However, the original meaning is “the right or favorable time.” One respondent in their twenties admitted, “I didn’t really know Japanese. I got it wrong.”
These findings illustrate how language both adapts and drifts from its origins. While social media accelerates the spread of new slang and abbreviations, the survey shows that older generations also play a role in these shifts, and that many words no longer carry their traditional meanings in everyday use.
Source: TBS
