Re: [tlug] [OT] What's up with online Japanese<->Japanese dictionaries?

[Bart Mathias <mathias@example.com>]

On 6/14/2010 10:02:47 s smith wrote:
 
> When I looked up 補佐官 on/dic.yahoo.co.jp, I was refered to 補佐 and 官 
> which are 'aid' and 'government service' respectively.  From WWWJDict, 
> pronunciation of 補佐官 is ほさかん and of 補佐-官 (as two separate 
> words) is ほさ-かん..

> So what I'm wondering is would the Japanese define 補佐官  as one word 
> or two.

I think it would have to be one. As separate words, 補佐 and 官 are both nouns. When two separate nouns are linked in a phrase, an "and" is implied. "Aide and government office"? 

補佐 is "accented" on the "ho"; there is a drop in pitch from the "ho" to the "sa." 官 is accented on the "ka." If 補佐官 is pronounced (I don't have a Japanese person handy to listen to) high-low-high-low, then two words, "aide and office." My *guess* is that it would be low on the "ho," high on the "sa," and the rest low, making a new noun meaning "(official) aide."

Granted, that would only mean it is really one word, not that the Japanese would necessarily define it to.

-- 
Bart Mathias <mathias@example.com>