Japano-Koreanic: Evidence for a Common Origin of the Japanese and Korean Languages

This talk will present an overview of the theory of "Japano-Koreanic," which has emerged as the strongest framework for understanding the origins of the Japanese and Korean languages. Contrary to the widespread assumption that nothing is known regarding Japanese language origins, Professor Francis-Ratte will show that there are close and interlocking correspondences in "core" realms of vocabulary and grammar between the two languages. These correspondences are unlikely to be the result of chance or later borrowing. Hitherto unrecognized cognates will be explored in some depth, specifically in the realm of agriculture. He will also highlight how the Japano-Koreanic theory has the power to explain otherwise mysterious facts about the two languages. We will conclude with a discussion of the likely time-depth of a Japano-Koreanic proto-language, and how the linguistic facts of the theory fit with emerging extra-linguistic research (archaeological, anthropological, textual) pertaining to their common origin.

Cosponsored by East Asian Languages and Cultures, and the East Asian Studies and Linguistics programs