Terminology: Does the term 美化語 include all ご・お・etc. prefixes, or only ones outside of a 敬語 context?


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)?




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.




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.

