Translation-based connotation visualization for classical poetic Japanese vocabulary of the Kokin Wakashū ca. 905

To offer a visualization of connotation in the classical poetic Japanese vocabulary of the Kokin Wakashū as an independent supplement for poetic language dictionaries, this paper presents an operationalization to tackle connotations using non-literal elements which are unveiled during the cross-cultural communication process, i.e., the translation process. Grounded on Schramm's communication model, we suggest calculating the set difference between the Kokin Wakashū and its ten contemporary Japanese translations to visualize the lexical explanatory additions (non-literal elements) in the translations. Methodologically, we apply the set difference in two distinct ways and implement the visualization on the six most frequent poetic flora words in the Kokin Wakashū, resulting in various depictions of non-literal elements. The set difference-based approaches to non-literal element visualization showed associative images and rhetorical techniques related to the flora words, which are two crucial aspects of connotation. While the other aspects of connotation, such as encyclopedic knowledge, sociolinguistic style, and emotion, are not covered by the proposed visualizations.