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Haruhiko Kindaichi | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1913-04-03)April 3, 1913 |
| Died | March 19, 2004(2004-03-19) (aged 90) |
| Occupation | linguist |
| Relatives | Kyōsuke Kindaichi (father) |
Haruhiko Kindaichi (金田一 春彦,Kindaichi Haruhiko; 1913–2004) was a Japanese linguist and a scholar of Japaneselinguistics (国語学,kokugogaku).[1] He was well known as an editor of Japanese dictionaries and his research inJapanese dialects and accents.[2][1] He was awarded theOrder of the Rising Sun for his efforts. He was awarded a Doctor of Literature degree atTokyo University in 1962. He was given official commendation as someone who has performed special service in the field of culture and an honorary citizen of theTokyo Metropolitan District.
He was born on April 3, 1913, at his mother's home in Morikawa-cho,Hongo Ward, Tokyo City (now Hongo 6-chome,Bunkyō Ward, Tokyo Metropolitan District). He was the eldest and only son of Shizue (née Hayashi) and noted linguistKyōsuke Kindaichi, an expert on theAinu language.
He took after his father in his enthusiasm for learning and his mother in her secularism. When their son was born, his father had lost his job as a proofreader of theSanseidōencyclopaedia, so his family was in dire economic straits. His father eventually worked as a professor at Tokyo Imperial University.
Haruhiko became known to the broader public with the publication of his bookNihongo (The Japanese Language) in 1957, which became a bestseller for its anecdotal approach to the nature of the language. He went on, likeSusumu Ōno, to become a familiar public intellectual, appearing often on radio and television to discuss linguistic issues.
