On 'Negative-Past' expressions in the dialects of the Chubu are in Japan

ln this paper, I make it my chief aim to throw a light on the actual conditions of `Negative-Past' expressions found in the dialects of the Chubu Area of Japan. I followed the principles of linguistic geography studing among the old people and the youth of the Chubu Area 1976, in Aichi Prefecture between 1966 and 1968. I had investigated, on the other hand, the dialectal data in the various areas of Japan between 1963 and 1976. The results obtained by this study are as follows : 1) The borderline between the east dialect and the west dialect in Japan that concerns the opposition of 'ikananda' and 'ikanakatta' has not moved much for 70 years since KOGOHOBUNPUZU was published in 1906. An unchangeable character of the Negative-Past expressions as a grammatical phenomenon may be considered as firm as that of an accentual phenomenon is. 2) The extensive distributions of 'ikananda' found in the dialects of the Chubu Area in 1976 are very similar to those of the KOGOHOBUNPUZU in 1906 were. In the eastern parts of Yamanashi Prefecture, however, we can not recognize the distributions of 'ikananda' now. The distributions of 'ikanakatta' are becoming wider than those of 'ikananda. 3) The old ikanaikke' and 'ikanokke' are now found only in the middle parts of Shizuoka Prefecture. 4) The expression 'ikanda', found in the Hokuriku Area, is recognized as a comparatively new expression derived form 'ikananda'. 5) 'Ikandatta', found in Aichi Prefecture, is increasing in its distributions. Their generative routes may be three. (1) The first is the mixture of 'ikanda' and 'ikankatta. (2) The second is the mixture of 'ikananda' and 'ikankatta. (3) The last is the combination of 'ikanda' and 'ta'. 6) The contrast of the negative form of 'ike-' and that of 'ikya-' in Aichi Prefecture is recognized remarkably in the following parts : the former is recognized in the Northern part of the Owari Area, and the latter, in Chita Peninsula and Mikawa Area. This tendency is being strengthened gradually remarkable