Historical kana orthography

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Template:Use American English Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "Sidebar". The kana orthography in general use for writing the Japanese language until orthographic reforms after World War II is referred to as Script error: No such module "Nihongo". or Script error: No such module "Nihongo".. The current orthography was adopted by Cabinet order in 1946.[1] By that point the historical orthography was no longer in accord with Japanese pronunciation. It differs from Script error: No such module "Nihongo". in the number of characters and the way those characters are used. There was considerable opposition to the official adoption of the current orthography, on the grounds that the historical orthography conveys meanings better, and some writers continued to use it for many years after.

The historical orthography is found in almost all Japanese dictionaries, such as Script error: No such module "Lang".. In the current edition of the Script error: No such module "Lang"., if the historical orthography is different from the modern spelling, the old spelling is printed in tiny Script error: No such module "Lang". between the modern Script error: No such module "Lang". and Script error: No such module "Lang". transcriptions of the word. Ellipses are used to save space when the historical and modern spellings are identical. Older editions of the Script error: No such module "Lang". gave priority to the historical orthography.

The historical orthography should not be confused with Script error: No such module "Lang"., alternative Script error: No such module "Lang". that were declared obsolete with the orthographic reforms of 1900.

General differences

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File:Stop the Permanent wave.JPG
A 1940 Japanese Empire propaganda slogan: Template:Nihongo krt, with yamemashō written as yamemaseu.

In historical kana usage:

  • Two kana are used that are obsolete today: Script error: No such module "Lang". wi and Script error: No such module "Lang". we. These are today read as i and e. Words that formerly contained those characters are now written using Script error: No such module "Lang". i and Script error: No such module "Lang". e respectively.
  • Outside of its use as a particle, the Script error: No such module "Lang". wo kana is used to represent the o sound in some, but not all, words.
  • Yōon sounds, such as Script error: No such module "Lang". shō or Script error: No such module "Lang". kyō, are not written with a small kana Script error: No such module "Lang".; depending on the word, they are written with either two or three full-sized kana. If written with two kana and the last one is Script error: No such module "Lang". ya, Script error: No such module "Lang". yu, or Script error: No such module "Lang". yo, then it represents a short syllable of one mora, such as Script error: No such module "Lang". kyo. If written with two or three kana and the last one is Script error: No such module "Lang". u or Script error: No such module "Lang". fu, then it represents a long syllable of two morae. The first kana is not always the same as one used in the modern spelling, as in Script error: No such module "Lang". kyō "today", written Script error: No such module "Lang". kefu. If written with three kana, the middle one will always be Script error: No such module "Lang". ya, Script error: No such module "Lang". yu, or Script error: No such module "Lang". yo, and the last kana will always be Script error: No such module "Lang". u or Script error: No such module "Lang". fu, as in Script error: No such module "Lang". chō, the counter for tools, guns, etc., written Script error: No such module "Lang". chiyau.
  • The series of kana ha hi fu he ho are used to represent, in some words, the sounds wa, i, u, e, o, respectively.
  • Precedence is given to grammar over pronunciation. For example, the verb warau (to laugh) is written Script error: No such module "Lang". warafu, and in accordance with Japanese grammar rules, waraō, the volitional form of warau, is written Script error: No such module "Lang". warahau.
  • The kana Script error: No such module "Lang". du and Script error: No such module "Lang". di, which are mostly only used in rendaku in modern kana usage, are more common. Modern kana usage replaces them with the identically pronounced Script error: No such module "Lang". zu and Script error: No such module "Lang". ji in most cases. For example, ajisai (hortensia) is written Script error: No such module "Lang". adisawi.

Most of the historical kana usage has been found to accurately represent certain aspects of the way words sounded during the Heian period. As the spoken language has continued to develop, some orthography looks odd to the modern eye. As these peculiarities follow fairly regular patterns, they are not difficult to learn. However, some of the historical kana usages are etymologically mistakes. For example,

Script error: No such module "Lang". aruiwa (or) might be found written incorrectly as Script error: No such module "Lang". *aruhiwa or Script error: No such module "Lang". *aruwiwa
Script error: No such module "Lang". mochiwiru (use) might be found written incorrectly as Script error: No such module "Lang". *mochihiru
Script error: No such module "Lang". tsukue (desk, table) might be found written incorrectly as: Script error: No such module "Lang". *tsukuwe

Those familiar with Japanese writing may notice that most of the differences apply to words which are usually written in Kanji anyway, and so would require no changes to switch from one Kana system to another (unless furigana are employed). In particular, yōon sounds occur almost exclusively in the Chinese-derived readings that are usually only seen in Kanji compounds (although not entirely; Script error: No such module "Lang". kyō "today," written Script error: No such module "Lang". kefu in the old system, is a native Japanese word), and therefore do not look any different (without furigana). The relative lack of difference in appearance in practice between the two systems was a major reason the spelling reform succeeded, and also why the three grammatical particles o, e, wa continue to be written as Script error: No such module "Lang". wo, Script error: No such module "Lang". he, and Script error: No such module "Lang". ha instead of Script error: No such module "Lang". o, Script error: No such module "Lang". e, and Script error: No such module "Lang". wa; many felt that changing these exceedingly common spellings would unnecessarily confuse readers. It is also for this reason that many character dictionaries continue to include the historical spellings, since they are relevant there.

Some forms of unusual kana usage are not, in fact, historical kana usage. For example, writing Script error: No such module "Lang". dojō (loach, a sardine-like fish) in the form Script error: No such module "Lang". dozeu is not historical kana usage (which was Script error: No such module "Lang". dodiyau), but a kind of slang writing originating in the Edo period.

Examples

Here are some representative examples showing the historical and modern spellings and the kanji representation.

Historical usage Current usage New Old Translation Middle Chinese
Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". today
Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". river
Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". voice
Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". water
Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". king hjwang
Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". butterfly dep
Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". there is/are (animate)
Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". sorrow; grief; pathos
Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". to return home
Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "Lang".) Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". sweets kwaX tsiX
Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "Lang".) Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Tokyo
Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". laughter sjewH

The table at the bottom gives a more complete list of the changes in spelling patterns.

Current usage

Historical kana usage can be used to look up words in larger dictionaries and dictionaries specializing in old vocabulary, which are in print in Japan. Because of the great discrepancy between the pronunciation and spelling and the widespread adoption of modern kana usage, historical kana usage is almost never seen, except in a few special cases. Companies, shrines and people occasionally use historical kana conventions such as Script error: No such module "Lang". (Ebisu), notably in Yebisu beer, which is written Script error: No such module "Lang". webisu but pronounced ebisu. Also, some long-standing company names retain yōon in full-sized kana, like Script error: No such module "Lang". (Canon) or stamp manufacturer Script error: No such module "Lang". (Shachihata).

The Jinja Shinpō uses historical kana orthography in the name of protecting tradition, the only newspaper in Japan to do so according to the publisher.[2]

In addition, alternate kana letterforms, known as hentaigana Script error: No such module "Lang"., have nearly disappeared. A few uses remain, such as kisoba, often written using obsolete kana on the signs of soba shops.

The use of Script error: No such module "Lang". wo, Script error: No such module "Lang". he, and Script error: No such module "Lang". ha instead of Script error: No such module "Lang". o, Script error: No such module "Lang". e, and Script error: No such module "Lang". wa for the grammatical particles o, e, wa is a remnant of historical kana usage.

Table of differences

File:FG-Kōtōgakkou-mae Station 2.JPG
Pre-War sign for Kōtōgakkou-mae (Script error: No such module "Lang".) station in Toyama, spelled out as Kautoukakukaumahe.

The following tables summarize every possible historical spelling for the syllables which were spelled differently under the historical system. When more than one historical spelling is given for a particular modern spelling, the various historical spellings were etymologically (and at one point phonetically) distinct and occurred in different words (i.e. in most cases, they are not merely different ways to spell the same word). The tables are sorted using the gojūon ordering system.

Note that the dakuten (voicing mark) was frequently omitted as well, as in the station sign at right.

Word-medial は ha, ひ hi, ふ hu, へ he, and ほ ho ゐ wi, ゑ we and を wo くゎ kwa and ぐゎ gwa Yotsugana Sokuon Classical auxiliary verb Script error: No such module "Lang". -mu
Modern Historical Modern Historical Modern Historical Modern Historical Modern Historical Modern Historical
Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana っ Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana
Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana
Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana
Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana
Template:Romanized kana Template:Romanized kana, Template:Romanized kana

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Table references

[3][4]

Notes

  • The spellings in the first table only apply to word-medial kana: word-initial occurrences of Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., and Script error: No such module "Lang". were never written as Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., or Script error: No such module "Lang"., respectively.
  • In modern Japanese orthography, Script error: No such module "Lang". (di) is only used in compound words where rendaku causes Script error: No such module "Lang". (chi) to become voiced, as in Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "Lang". hanaji "nosebleed"), and where it immediately follows a Script error: No such module "Lang"., as in Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "Lang". chijimu "shrink"). Its use in rendaku is retained in order to avoid confusion about the origin of the compound. The usage of Script error: No such module "Lang". (du) in modern orthography is the same, used in rendaku and after a Script error: No such module "Lang". (tsu). In historical kana, however, Script error: No such module "Lang". and Script error: No such module "Lang". were sometimes used where Script error: No such module "Lang". and Script error: No such module "Lang". are used in modern kana. This originally represented a different phoneme (and still does in some dialects), but no longer does in Standard Japanese. The historical-kana-only spellings using Script error: No such module "Lang". and Script error: No such module "Lang". are listed under modern spellings starting with Script error: No such module "Lang". and Script error: No such module "Lang". respectively.
  • The different spellings for the sokuon depend on what mora (if any) was elided into the following consonant to form the geminate consonant. For example, Script error: No such module "Lang". (gakki "semester") is spelled Script error: No such module "Lang". (gakuki) in historical kana because the on'yomi of Script error: No such module "Lang". used in this compound is Script error: No such module "Lang". (gaku). Geminate consonants in native Japanese words were formed either by the elision of a long vowel, as in Script error: No such module "Lang". (makka-na "bright red"; once Script error: No such module "Lang"., maaka-na), or by some random process, as in Script error: No such module "Lang". (kitto "surely"; once Script error: No such module "Lang"., kito); such words are written with the full-size Script error: No such module "Lang". (tu) in historical kana.[3] In general, a Japanese on'yomi can end in either a vowel, Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., or Script error: No such module "Lang"., (Script error: No such module "Lang". and Script error: No such module "Lang". corresponding to Middle Chinese final -t, and Script error: No such module "Lang". and Script error: No such module "Lang". corresponding to Middle Chinese final -k), so these are the only four kana (Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang".) which can replace the sokuon in historical kana. Historically, on'yomi could also end with pu (for the Middle Chinese final -p), which was written as Script error: No such module "Lang". (pu, later fu) but eventually came to be pronounced u (as part of a diphthong).
  • The last table in the first row applies only to the terminal (Script error: No such module "Lang". shūshikei) and attributive (Script error: No such module "Lang". rentaikei) forms of the classical auxiliary verb ～Script error: No such module "Lang". (-mu), which are pronounced Script error: No such module "Lang". (n). While many other native Japanese words (for example, Script error: No such module "Lang". nanji archaic word for "you") with Script error: No such module "Lang". were once pronounced and/or written with Script error: No such module "Lang". (mu), proper historical kana only uses Script error: No such module "Lang". for Script error: No such module "Lang". in the case of the auxiliary verb, which is only used in classical Japanese, and has morphed into the volitional Script error: No such module "Lang". (-u) form in modern Japanese.
  • The historical spellings in the second row of tables represent every theoretical representation of their modern counterpart. It is possible, however, that some may not have occurred, or that they were so rare that they applied to only one or two words. It is also possible that some spellings listed in the modern spellings column may not occur in any Japanese word, but they are theoretically possible and may occur in onomatopoeia or in katakana transcriptions of foreign languages.

Romanization

Readers of English occasionally encounter words romanized according to historical kana usage. Here are some examples, with modern romanizations in parentheses:

References

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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