An Elementary Grammar of the Japanese Language, With Easy Progressive Exercises | Released: 01 Aug 2017

AN ELEMENTARY GRAMMAR OF THE JAPANESE LANGUAGE, with Easy Progressive Exercises Written by TATSUI BABA, Adapted to the Present-day Japanese by Isamu HAYAKAWA.
Contents
JAPANESE GRAMMAR.
I. THE ALPHABET.
The ALPHABET.
The VOWELS.
II. PARTS OF SPEECH.
Of NOUNS.
Of ADJECTIVES.
Of PRONOUNS.
Of VERBS.
Of ADVERBS.
Of POSTPOSITIONS.
Of CONJUNCTIONS.
Of INTERJECTIONS.
III. SYNTAX.
SENTENCES.
RULES. (I ~ XVIII)
JAPANESE AND ENGLISH EXERCISES. (I ~ CXIV)
LIST of JAPANESE BASIC WORDS (made by Isamu Hayakawa)
PREFACE
This is my adaptation of Babas Elementary Grammar of the Japanese Language (Second and enlarged edition. London: Trübner and co.; New York: D. Appleton and co., 1888).
First of all, I have to introduce the author of this book, Tatsui Baba, who is not well-known even in Japan. He was born in Kochi, as the son of a samurai of the Kochi Clan. He studied Chinese classics at his domain school, Bunbukan, and English at the Keio Gijuku founded by Yukichi Fukuzawa. He was fortunate enough to study law in England from 1870 to 1878 and and wrote some books in English between brief returns to Japan. During these years, he wrote the grammar of the Japanese language in London. After moving back to Japan, he became a member of a political party. In 1881, he organized the Kokuyukai and became a member of the Liberal Party. Next year, he became the chief editor of the partys magazine Jiyu Shimbun, but was dismissed for opposing Taisuke Itagakis visits to foreign countries and breaking away from the party in 1883. He acted energetically as a democratic rights activist. In 1885, Baba was detained on suspicion of violating the rules for regulating explosive materials, but he was found innocent later and released in 1886. He then went to the United States to introduce Japan to more Americans, and published the second edition of the grammar book in 1888. He died in Philadelphia.
This is the first Japanese grammar written in English in 1873, when Baba studied in London. This was written to achieve two objectives, which were stated in the the preface to the second editon.When this book was published in 1873, the object was twofold. The first was to protest against an idea entertained by some of my countrymen that the Japanese language is very imperfect, and therefore it must be exterminated. This idea, however, appears to have been given up as altogether preposterous and extravagant. The second was to give a general idea of the Japanese language as it is spoken. Maturer thought suggests to me some alterations, but I found that no material change is necessary. I have added several new Exercises which I deemed advisable, and trusting that in its new form it will prove acceptable, I have the pleasure of submitting a second edition of the work. The Author. New York, January, 1888."
The second objective was to give a general idea of the Japanese language as it was spoken in the latter half of the nineteenth century. About 150 years have passed since its publication of the first edition. During these years, the Japanese language experienced the drastic changes, which has made me adapt the content of the grammar to that of the present-day Japanese. But I endeavored to keep the original ideas as they were as possible. Therefore some explanations may sound old-fashioned to the English-speaking people.
Last of all, one of the characteristics of this book is the inclusion of as many as 120 exercises, which are arranged progressively, namely step by step to higher level of learning. I have abandoned 4 exercises among them because there are many archaic expressions in these exercises. I am sure that the reader or learner of this grammar can acquire enough knowledge of Japanese grammar to use Japanese words correctly and to speak Japanese fluently by doing these exercises, some of which are a little difficult to solve.