Japanese Writing System

Mengyao Li

CONTENT
The History of
Language
The Old Japanese Vowel
System
Writing System

The History of Language

Major Historical Period

The History of Language

1. Nara & Early Heian Period

Major achievement is the acquisition of a writing system

Using Chinese characters semantically and phonetically

Katakana & Hiragana

The History of Language

2. Systematically Borrow Chinese words
Three Waves

Pre-Nara period

Nara period

During 14th century

The History of Language

3. Systematic Contact with Western World

Year 1543: Portuguese

Beginning of the Meiji period: English; German; French

After WW: America

The History of Language

4. Affections on Phonological System

Enrichment: syllables and words ending in consonants

and sequences of vowels

Simplification:
Kojiki (A.D. 713): 88 syllables
Nihon shoki (A.D. 720): 87 syllables
Modern Japanese: 62 syllables

CONTENT
The History of Language

The Old Japanese Vowel

System
Writing System

The Old Japanese Vowel

System
The Widely Accepted Eight Vowels of
Old Japanese

The Old Japanese Vowel

System
The Widely Accepted Eight Vowels of
Old Japanese

CONTENT
The History of Language
The Old Japanese Vowel
System

Writing System

Writing System
1. Kojiki (A.D. 712)

The earliest extant

systematic written records
of Japanese

(8th century)

Its not clear how these

characters were read.

Writing System
2. Manysh (A.D. 759)

Collection of ten thousand leaves

Use Chinese characters as a phonetic

means of writing Japanese
(Manyoo-gana)

e.g. => Chinese reading (nan)

=> Japanese reading

(minami)

Writing System
3. Kana
Simplification of
Manyoo-gana
Kana were used as
mnemonic symbols
for reading characters
and were written
alongside them
Katakana: partial
kana
Hiragana: plain

Writing System
The Tale of Genji
Japans greatest literary
achievement
It was written in
Hiragana by Lady
Murasaki

Writing System
4. Rmaji
Phonetic writing system using the Roman alphabet
Dates back to 16th 17th century
Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch missionaries
American missionary James Curtis Hepburn: Japanese-English
Glossary, 1867
e.g. -tsu; -shi; -chi; -fu; -ji
Japanese government: a revised version of the Kunreisiki
system

Writing System
Quiz Time

OL

hanako

wa

ano

biru

de

hataraiteiru

ooeru desu
Hanako
OL

is

that building at

working

THANKS