Re: JINSEI WA GEIJUTSU DE ARU (was: Getting started with a newborn lang)

--- J Y S Czhang <czhang23@...> replied to:

Suomenkieli@yahoo.com's
<< "JINSEI WA GEIJUTSU DE ARU"  Oh, no no... LOL!
Again, non-native me speaking, but I think the style
here is quite amusing. >>

<SNiP of lengthy explanation, etc.>
>     ::bashful chagrin:: I am glad I am so amusing,
> hehe. Thanx, I guess I will use your suggestions
> till "further notice" :) [until some one with
> Japanese backgrounding suggests otherwise]
Hope you didn't think I was laughing at you, Chang!
Anyhow, I checked with my Japanese partner about this
phrase as well as the explanation I offered on the
difference between =geijyutsu= vs =gijyutsu=.

In regard to the latter, my explanation of the
difference between these words is correct.
=Geijyutsu= refers to "art(form)" and its kanji for
_gei_ is the same used for =geinojin, celebrity= (in
my previous emails, I kept writing =geijin= but that
should be =geiNOjin=... caught that after I sent
them!).  =Gijyutsu= refers to "technique, skill" and
its kanji for _gi_ is the same used for =gijyutsusha,
technician=.

Regarding the =Jinsei wa geijyutsu de aru=, Nobu
confirmed (and I knew this myself, although I probably
did not convey it in the earlier emails) that it is
grammatically correct.  He agreed with me that =de
aru= copula gives a rigid impression, but he also
explained to me that there was a regionally-famous
artist who years ago said this!  Therefore, it is ok
grammar-wise and usage-wise.  In reality, though,
neither he nor I understand what it means exactly.
Both in Japanese and English -- life is art.  Is this
to be taken literally or as a "colorful" expression or
what?  Now you have it!  Your original can be accepted
- sorry for the inconvenience.  Nobu also commented
that my version =Jinsei to iu mono wa, kinchou na
geijyutsu to ieru deshou= is also grammatically ok,
but the meaning is toned-down and better-defined (ie,
hence, not a 1:1 translation from "life is art" if
that makes sense).

M.E.S.

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