Page 565 - Makino,Tsutusi.DictionaryOfIntermediateJGrammar

to iu no wa - koto da 491
3. To request the meaning of a word, a phrase, or a sentence, the following
expressions are commonly used.

(3) [Asking the meaning of a word]
?JY~ ?kblja)d&f$~f j5>,
(What does karaoke mean?)
(4) [Asking the meaning of a phras:,o; a sentence]
r'$B%Ia_I kblja)i&PjbljPPif;Tfdl,
(What does kubi o kim mean?)
Note that the expression is (5) is not used in this situation.
(5) *?J 4 ;5?a)f Ri&rnT-m0
(lit. What is the meaning of karaoke?)
4. In asking the meaning of X in conversation, X to iu no wa is often con-
tracted to X tte, as in (6).

In informal conversation simply X tte (with rising intonation) is used, as
in (7).
(7) A. ?54;S?C&t@3Ttd..
(Do you like karaoke?)
I
B. ?J4;5?77?
(What's karaoke?)
(Related ~x~ression]
X to iu koto wa Y to iu koto da also means that X means Y. However, this
structure is used to provide an interpretation of a fact (or something nearly
factual), and is not used to provide a definition, an explanation, or an inter-
pretation of a word, a phrase, or a sentence. Thus, to iu koto wa is acceptable
in [I], but not in [2], and to iu no wa is acceptable in [2], but not in [I].