A Study Of The Hedges In The Perspective Of Adaptation Theory

Fuzziness is one of the basic properties of the language. Fuzzy language is not only reflected in speech, semantics and grammar, but also in the practical application of the language. In daily communication, there is a class of semantic ambiguity that can increase the vocabularies and we call it hedges. It can promote a smooth communication, to make the language communication more flexible. One of the main features of Japanese expression is to build a harmonious communication atmosphere, so they are trying to use the euphemism as much as possible. There are a lot of fuzzy languages in Japanese euphemism. The pragmatic function of hedges in Japanese are more typical and have a great research value.The hedge“toomou”has subjective semantic features, so its pragmatic function are more representative. And its pragmatic function is not only determined by the expression of the verb "omou", but also affected by the communication participants’ contexts – the physical world, the social world and the mental world. They can make communication smoothly by context adaptation.Therefore, this paper use the hedge “toomou” as the research object to analyze its pragmatic function from the perspective of adaptation theory, especially the contexts influence. By deep understanding the hedges’ semantic features, pragmatic functions and influence factors to further improve the understanding of Japanese hedges, and provide a solid theory foundation for teaching practice and Japanese learning.