Linguistics of 'Baka': Meanings of 'Baka' (5) Baka-logical Meanings

←Linguistics of 'Baka': Meanings of 'Baka' (4) From Pre-war Dictionaries

Dividing the meanings of 'Baka' into four

　In "Meanings of 'Baka'" (1)(2)(3)(4), we looked at how the meaning of the word "baka" is explained in various Japanese dictionaries from the Meiji era to the present day.
　This time, based on the definitions in each dictionary, I would like to consider my own definition of "baka." That said, I will exclude "bakagai" (surf clam), the meaning of a tool becoming non-functional (e.g., "the screw is baka"), and cases where it simply expresses an extreme degree (e.g., "baka-shojiki" or "foolishly honest").
　Limiting it strictly to the meaning of "baka" regarding people and their words or actions, I believe it can be divided into roughly the following four types.

1. A person, thing, or state considered to lack or be deficient in intellectual abilities such as knowledge, comprehension, judgment, or thinking compared to social standards. A foolish person, thing, or state.
【Target】Although I used "person, thing, or state" at the end of the sentence, it is basically used for people, and usually for individuals. "Thing" often refers to a person's words or actions, and "state" usually refers to a person's condition. This is because "baka" in this sense is negatively related to a person's intellectual ability.
【Scale】While there is, of course, superior vs. inferior, it is judged as "baka" based on scales such as the quantity, size, or amount of knowledge and intellectual ability.
【Antonyms】"Smart," "wise," "intelligent," etc.
【Others' reactions】This kind of baka is looked down upon.
【Positive usage】Because it lacks cunning or worldly wisdom, it can be associated with an image of being pure, innocent, and kind. In literary works like Dostoevsky's "The Idiot," Tolstoy's "Ivan the Fool," or Shusaku Endo's "Obaka-san," this kind of "baka" reaches the level of a religious or ideological motif. Also, because they are seen as naively believing in "pretty ideals," they are sometimes treated as safe and secure beings who fall within a range understandable to everyone.
　Therefore, I will distinguish this meaning of "baka" from others and call it "Usurabaka" (Simpleton).

2. A thing, state, or person considered to bring no benefit or utility because the nature of their words, actions, thoughts, or events is inferior to expected standards. A trivial thing, state, or person.
【Target】As in scolding someone by saying "Don't say baka things," it often refers to words, actions, or thoughts rather than the person themselves, and it can also refer to events or situations, such as "meeting a baka fate" or "feeling like a baka after expecting something." When used for a person, it can mean a denial of their character.
【Scale】It is judged based on criteria such as superior vs. inferior, high vs. low, or upper vs. lower relative to the expected qualitative level.
【Others' reactions】This kind of baka is despised.
【Antonyms】"Splendid," "meaningful," "noble," etc.
【Positive usage】It can be associated with an image of frankness or openness, without stiffness or affectation. It can also bring relief to tense situations and induce laughter. Therefore, when someone says "baka" while laughing at a person who intentionally did something silly to make others laugh, it includes the meaning of "funny."
　Therefore, I will distinguish this meaning of "baka" from others and call it "Kusobaka" (Damn fool).

3. A thing, person, or state whose words, actions, or events are considered to exceed the range understandable by social common sense. A strange thing, person, or state.
【Target】This is also often used in ways unrelated to people, such as "How can such a baka thing happen?" or "It's baka-geteru (ridiculous)." However, it is also often used to refer to unreasonable people, and it is used for people who do incomprehensible things that deviate from common sense, rather than just not knowing common sense.
【Scale】The criterion of superior vs. inferior is not necessarily applied; instead, the scale is whether it is inside or outside the range of common sense and general comprehension.
【Others' reactions】This kind of baka is shunned.
【Antonyms】"Sane," "normal," "rational," etc.
【Positive usage】If "common sense" is interpreted as "restraint" or "mediocrity," this "baka" is associated with the uniqueness of talent, freedom of thought or lifestyle, creativity, and innovation. For this reason, it is used in the context of life philosophy and self-help, such as Antonio Inoki's "Become a baka," and it can also express a kind of fun different from "kusobaka."
　Therefore, I will distinguish this meaning of "baka" from others and call it "Tondemobaka" (Absurd fool).

4. A person, state, or thing considered unable to understand or examine different opinions or ways of thinking because they cannot relativize their own assumptions, misunderstandings, or adherence to beliefs or ideologies. A stubborn person, state, or thing.
【Target】Like "usurabaka," it is mainly used for people themselves, their words, actions, or thoughts, but it often refers not only to individuals but also to groups that fall into certain categories. It is often used for people whose opinions do not mesh at all in discussions or critiques.
【Scale】Superior vs. inferior is also a basic scale here, but it is also judged by quantitative scales such as hard vs. soft or rigid vs. flexible. Also, in the process of judgment, various qualitative criteria such as right vs. wrong or true vs. false are involved.
【Others' reactions】This kind of baka is criticized.
【Antonyms】"Flexible," "tolerant," "realistic," etc.
【Positive usage】If the content of the belief is considered good, even if the adherence to it is excessive, it is sometimes praised as consistency or strength of will. This "baka" in a positive sense can be said to be synonymous with "foolish honesty," and when used to refer to oneself, it can be an expression of pride.
　Therefore, I will distinguish this meaning of "baka" from others and call it "Goribaka" (Stubborn fool).

　The above are the four meanings of the word "baka" that I have thought of.
　Of course, when people say "baka," it does not necessarily mean they are using only one of these meanings. I think it is possible that all four meanings are included, or that it carries two or three of the four meanings.
　For example, if you think, "That guy is out of touch with common sense, so he tells baka dirty jokes without considering the situation," you could say it has both the meanings of "kusobaka" and "tondemobaka." Also, if you interpret "tondemobaka" as ignorance of common sense, or "kusobaka" remarks as a lack of education, both "baka"s would carry the meaning of "usurabaka."
　Also, if the assumptions of a "goribaka" are unreasonable, it also becomes the meaning of "tondemobaka." Conversely, a person who is stuck in common sense and cannot think freely can be called a "goribaka," but they seem to be the exact opposite of a "tondemobaka." Rather, one could say they are "usurabaka" by considering the inability to think freely as a lack of thinking ability. Of course, if the assumption is trivial, it can also be considered "kusobaka."
　However, if I had to say, I think there is a main meaning.

"How can a baka(A) like you, who is always slacking off and saying baka(B) things and doesn't even know how to use Excel properly, get promoted? Is it right for such a baka(C) story to exist! Or was I, who worked seriously, the baka(D) one..."

　Of the four "baka"s appearing in this example sentence, it is thought that A is mainly "kusobaka," B is "usurabaka," C is "tondemobaka," and D is "goribaka."
　In this case, it feels relatively clearly divided, but the speaker of this sentence might be trying to say that saying "kusobaka" things at work is unreasonable and that it is because their intellectual ability does not reach social standards. If so, A also carries the meanings of "tondemobaka" and "usurabaka." Also, B seems to include the meanings of "a guy who cannot be understood by common sense" or "a trivial guy," that is, "tondemobaka" and "kusobaka." Also, D likely includes the thought that perhaps they were "usurabaka" in that they lacked the ability to understand what work is.

Combining the four into "BQT"

　I believe that the above classification may be useful not only as a classification of meanings but also for considering "baka" from various perspectives.
　Since these are like quadruplets born after I looked through various dictionaries and thought very hard, I thought of the baka idea of giving them a name. After much consideration, I decided to call them "Baka-tet" as a quartet of "baka," abbreviated as BQT.
　I think "Baka-tet" is a pretty good name, like an unsuccessful comedy group.
　Regardless of that, the one thing I want you to be careful about is that this classification is strictly a classification of the meanings of "baka," that is, how the word "baka" is used, not a classification of baka that exist in reality. Following the eighth edition of the "Shinmeikai Japanese Dictionary," I have included "considered to be" and "thought to be" at the end of the sentences to emphasize that it is a judgment, because I want to make that clear. I think it can be said that what I have done is not a classification of "baka," but a decomposition of the word "baka."
　My explanation above may have confusing parts, but in any case, I would like you to keep this point in mind.

"Baka" as an interjection

　By the way, when I looked at Sanseido's "Daijirin" in "Meanings of 'Baka' (2)," there was a definition that caught my attention.

　"Daijirin" treated "baka" in this case as an interjection. An interjection is a word where saying it in a certain situation expresses some kind of emotion, rather than the word itself meaning something. "Bravo!" is also a typical interjection.
　In fact, when we get angry or shout "Baka!" in a hurry to make someone stop doing something, we are not trying to communicate the intention that we think the other person is a fool; we are often just intending to vent our anger or make the other person stop their actions. In such cases, I don't think it matters which meaning the word "baka" has.
　Also, how about the following example?

　This is a quote from "I Am a Cat," a scene where Sensei Kushami is sketching a sleeping cat ("I") and the cat wakes up and can no longer hold its urge to urinate, so it stands up, making the teacher grumpy.
　The "damn fool" in this scene can be taken as judging the cat as "usurabaka" because it cannot understand his feelings. However, Sensei Kushami should not think that the cat can really understand human feelings (although it actually does).
　As stated in the text, "damn fool" seems to be a habit, so it is thought that Sensei Kushami says "damn fool" whenever something happens, such as when something unpleasant happens or when his emotions are stirred (it is said that the author, Soseki, was also such a person). Therefore, even in the scene earlier, Sensei Kushami is not saying it because he judged the cat to be a "damn fool," but is just shouting according to his emotions. In other words, Sensei Kushami was "abusing" someone.
　I will call "baka" that is uttered unintentionally as an expression of emotion or a call, which does not necessarily involve judgment, ""baka" as an interjection" following "Daijirin."
　Of course, it is often the case that "baka" as an interjection is also one of the BQT at the same time. There may be times when you get angry and shout "Baka!" because you don't understand such a thing, and when you try to stop someone who is about to cross at a red light while cars are passing by intensely, you are feeling the other person's lack of judgment or lack of common sense. It is not necessarily either BQT or an interjection.
　In the first place, it is fully conceivable that some kind of emotion is at work even when saying "baka" in the sense of BQT. As seen in the explanation of the "Shinmeikai Japanese Dictionary," it is sometimes used with affection.
　As I touched on a little in "Meanings of 'Baka' (2)," the idea of pragmatics is necessary to consider such usage of "baka," but I would like to leave this for another occasion.

◎References and Citations
Akira Matsumura (ed.), 'Daijirin 4th Edition', Sanseido, 2019
Natsume Soseki, 'I Am a Cat', Iwanami Bunko, 1990