86216
This seems like a basic question, but I can't find an answer to it:

As far as I know, 美化語 refers to the ご・お・etc. prefix on words for mere
beautification. However, I have seen some ambiguity in its usage, and now I am
wondering: is the ご・お・etc. prefix that words take in the 尊敬語・謙譲語 conjugations
also referred to as 美化語？ How about the お in cases where it has been
lexicalized, or nearly so (e.g. お休み、お八つ)?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-18T22:36:45.487
86215
2023-05-19T01:40:10.137
2021-04-18T22:51:20.697
41089
41089
question
keigo terminology bikago
Terminology: Does the term 美化語 include all ご・お・etc. prefixes, or only ones outside of a 敬語 context?
In short:

  * 敬語 consists of 尊敬語, 謙譲語 and 美化語.
  * お/ご as a prefix can form either 尊敬語 or 美化語, or neither.

The concepts of 尊敬語 and 美化語 are mutually exclusive, but お/ご can be found in
both. You have to remember which お-/ご-words are 尊敬語. For example,

  1. **お/ご as a 尊敬語** : お名前, お着物, お住まい, ご婦人, ご来店, ごゆっくり  
(Can be only used to refer to something that belongs to your boss, etc)

  2. **お/ご as a 美化語** : お箸, お菓子, お風呂, お片付け, ご禁制, ご大層  
(Can be used to refer to something that belongs to the speaker)

  3. **お/ご in a lexicalized word** : おにぎり, おでん, おなら, おしぼり, ごきぶり  
(Lexicalized; removing お won't retain the original meaning)

Broadly speaking, 1. and 2. are both 敬語. As for 3., お/ご may have been
etymologically 敬語, but it has lost such a sense and it's now used as an
integral part of a word.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-18T23:27:27.667
86216
2023-05-19T01:40:10.137
2023-05-19T01:40:10.137
5010
5010
86215
answer
First, お/ご is called 接頭語 ( _settou-go_ ; “prefix”) in Japan.

Do you know "音読み" and "訓読み" ?

In most cases, 「お」 is a prefix for "訓読み", 「ご」 is a prefix for "音読み".

However, because of the difficulty level, it may be more practical to memorize
them individually.

Sorry that my English is not good because I’m Japanese.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-23T09:10:27.527
86284
2021-04-23T15:55:57.203
2021-04-23T15:55:57.203
9831
43678
86215
answer