Word Usage with Deeper Meanings

Back to main Osfer page

In order to fully understand the deeper meanings and sublteties of Osfer, I would take a bit of your time to explain how I have arrived at my present viewpoint on the subject.
(Or, skip the lesson and go directly to the Phrases with Deeper Meanings here)

- In my experience living and learning Japanese for 13 years, I quickly discovered there was much more to learning a language than remembering sentences and vocabulary or even grammar.
In fact, I would be bold enough to say, to properly learn a language would be to learn what could be described as 'anti-grammar'. (Slang, colouqialisms, euphemisms, verbal short-cuts, etc.)

I feel this opinion saved me from ever having to use the common phrases spouted by other foreigners living in Japan such as the dreaded:
"You'll never be accepted as one of them no matter how much you learn their language."

I constantly found the people who said anything similar to that phrase also referred to our hosts as 'The Japanese' or using 'The Language'. I quickly noticed the use of 'The' physcologically showed a purposeful divide. I also must add, these people always spoke with a horrific accent, pronouncing hard 'R' sounds that are not present in Japanese (in affect sounding as ridiculous as the 'L' / 'R' problem we joke about regarding the Japanese to English accent). I also noticed they had little or no interesting topics beyond "I went here." "Isn't this good?" or using sentences they've picked up from their kids at English school.
Conversely, I tried to use impersonations of t.v. personalities, singing currently popular songs or (even-better) referring to any nostalgic comic, t.v. show, or past event.

In summary, this taught me that communication is not simply words or word structure. It is a working knowledge of the culture and the many nuances entwined in any language that will give you a full knowledge of the people you are living with.

Now, of course, there are always exceptions to any experience, and I apologise if you are the exception to my 'rule'.
And I will beg your patience for one more example:
- A young man is asked to work over-time on a Friday night. He calls his friend who has organised a night out with a group to tell him the bad news.
A Japanese Friend would almost certainly say:
"I understand. Keep up the fight/hard work."
While the North American Friend of the same situation would say:
"That sucks. Well, don't work too hard, bro."

It might even be conceivable to think the North American friend would add, "Can't you just tell your boss you have a commitment?" while the idea of even hinting at such a thing in Japan would seem undermining and perhaps not merit a clear response.
It is with that belief that I can say the use of language strongly indicates, and deeply affects, the culture of a people.

With that, I will give some examples of how the usage of certain Osfer words create a way of thinking specific to the Amazoi.