Introduction to Shichiro MURAYAMA's Work
ORIG: 98/04/
REV1: 98/05/07 Mr.Murayama was dead!
Shichiro MURAYAMA (1908-1995)
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-Studied Altai languages at Berlin University (1942-1945)
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-Professor at Juntendo University (Tokyo)
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-Guest Professor at Ruhr University (Germany)
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-Professor at Kyushu University (Japan)
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-Professor at Kyoto Industrial University (Japan)
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-President, International Language Institute, Kyoto Industrial
University
One day in January 1995, I received a postcard and a
mail from Mr. Murayama. They were in reply to my layman question. It was
regarding a word, "kisasim", that means "louse", in Oho-Sumi dialect as
recorded in Oho-Sumi Fudoki. We also talked over telephone, a few days
later. All these were when he was 87 years old.
Despite of his age, he sounded like keeping researches
into Austronesian and Ainu languages. Apparently, he was working on a next
book. His mail included a couple of pages under proof-reading. The pages
show 17 Okinawa area dialects for "louse egg", all different, yet
similar. The book does not appear to have published yet. His favorite(?)
publisher, San-ichi Shobo, told me that there is not even a plan to publish
one.
I wrote him again a few days ago (April 20, 1998)
with another layman question. I sincerely hope he is still good and sound.
On May 7, 1998, I received a mail from his son in
which I was told that Mr. Murayama had been dead since sometime in 1995.
He died from pneumonia, according to the mail. I consider it a big, big
loss to the world that needs new and new revolutionary angles to see different
matters. [added 98/05/07]
As a layman, perhaps, I should not take this task of even
attempting to introduce his works. However, since his studies are with
lots of insight and originality, and since, to me, there appears least,
if any, recognition. I consider that his works deserve much much more
attention and recognition, so, here, I dared to take a pen, well, keyboard.
In the next section, essences from his "Study
of Ainu Language" (1993).
And in the third section, "Origin
of Ainu Language" (1992) will be introduced.
Both books are written in Japanese and discuss comparability
of Ainu with Austronesian languages.
"Study of Ainu Language"
"Origin of Ainu Language"
Page 11: Recent Anthropological Findings; Jomon and Ainu relationship
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