Japanese writing system

System of modified Chinese characters used for writing the Japanese language. The Japanese developed a mixed system, partly logographic (based on the Chinese writing system) and partly syllabic. In the 9th or 10th century two sets of syllabic signs evolved: hiragana, simplified cursive versions of Chinese characters; and katakana, based on elements of Chinese characters. Modern Japanese is written with the two syllabaries and Chinese characters.

Japanese Writing System

a writing system consisting of about 15,000 characters, or kanji, each of which represents a morpheme or several synonymous morphemes (either Japanese or borrowed from Chinese), and two parallel syllabic alphabets, each containing 47 syllabic symbols, or kana. The first alphabet, hiragana, is used to transcribe syntactic morphemes and onomatopoeic words. The second alphabet, katakana, is used in writing new loanwords. The Japanese writing system is therefore both ideographic and phonetic.

Japanese characters were borrowed from China in the sixth and seventh centuries; separate characters were fused together in Japan. The Japanese initially wrote in Chinese and later began indicating Japanese word order and syntactic morphemes; sacred words and poetry were written in characters that performed the role of syllabic signs. Each syllable could be represented by any of five to 20 homonymous signs. By the 12th century two sets of kana remained: the simpler, truncated syllabic signs— katakana—and the rounded, cursive signs— hiragana. A mixed writing system came to prevail (see Figure 1).

In 1946 the number of kanji characters for general use was reduced to 1,800, and the shapes of 700 characters were simplified; it was recommended that kana be used to write words that previously had been written with kanji characters. The orthography was standardized to conform with modern pronunciation; for example, wi and we were replaced by i and e, a-u by o-u (for [ó]), and e-u by yo-u. Japanese is written without spaces from the top of the page downward and from right to left. Sometimes, texts are printed from left to right. The Latin alphabet is little used.

REFERENCES

Fel’dman-Konrad, N. I. laponsko-russkii uchebnyi slovar’ ieroglifov, 2nd ed. Moscow, 1977.
Syromiatnikov, N. A. Drevneiaponskii iazyk. Moscow, 1972.

N. A. SYROMIATNIKOV

Mentioned in	?		References in periodicals archive	?		Encyclopedia browser	?		Full browser	?
No references found	Generally, the majority of Japanese textbooks says that Hiragana symbol is used when a word cannot be written in Kanji symbol, and Katakana symbol is mainly used to represent foreign words, or names which have adopted into the Japanese writing system. Learn Japanese Language - Do You Know That There Are 3 Different ... by Takanori Tomita / Reference and Education community Based on recent National Asian Languages and Studies for Australian Schools (NALSAS) research, under the guidance of Andrew Serimgeour of the University of South Australia, the character catalogues and associated learning objects aim to enhance a student's understanding of the Chinese and Japanese writing systems through analysis and interaction rather than simple memorisation. Supporting the teaching and learning of Chinese Japanese and ... by Clarke, Olivia; Gugger, Anne / Babel Entries are listed in alphabetical order according to the romanized form of the Japanese words, but each one is also written in the traditional Japanese writing system of kanji, both the modern and old forms if applicable. The Anime Companion 2 by Vogel, Paul T. / Reviewer's Bookwatch	Japanese Apricot Japanese architecture Japanese art Japanese ash Japanese beetle Japanese Cedar Japanese Deer Japanese Emperor's Birthday Japanese encephalitis Japanese flowering cherry Japanese Lacquer Japanese language Japanese law Japanese literature Japanese Millet Japanese music Japanese PC market Japanese peppermint oil Japanese philosophy Japanese quince Japanese Raisin Tree Japanese Spaniel Japanese Studies Japanese tung oil Japanese Varnish Tree Japanese Writing System japanning japh Japheth Japhia Japhleti Japho japonica Japura Japurá Japurá River Japygidae Jaques Jaques-Dalcroze Jaques-Dalcroze, Émile jar jar coupling Jar-Burial Culture Jara, Heriberto Jaracz, Stefan Jarama Jarar, Gulam Rahman Jarbah jardin anglais jardiniere glaze Jareb	Japanese Universities Graduates Association of Singapore Japanese University Accreditation Association Japanese University Network in the Bay Area Japanese varnish tree Japanese varnish tree Japanese Vehicle Sourcing Japanese Ventilator Users Network Japanese Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System Japanese Vexillological Association Japanese Virtual Observatory Japanese wax Japanese Wax Privet Japanese Wax Privet Japanese Wax Privet Japanese Wax Privet Japanese wax tree Japanese wax trees Japanese Wideband-Code Division Multiple Access Japanese Wineberry Japanese wistaria Japanese Wisteria Japanese witch hazel Japanese witch-hazel Japanese Women Engineers Forum Japanese words Japanese words Japanese Workers Committee for Human Rights Japanese Workers' Co-Operative Union Japanese writing Japanese Writing System Japanese writing systems Japanese Yellow Bunting Japanese yen Japanese yen Japanese yen Japanese yen Japanese yen Japanese yen Japanese yew Japanese yew Japanese Zen Japanese Zen Japanese Zen Japanese Zen Japanese, French, Italian, German and Spanish Japanese, Korean, South and Southeast Asian Acquisitions Japanese-American Acupuncture Foundation Japanese-American Community Diabetes Study Japanese-American Cooperative Emulsion Experiments Japanese-Brazilian Diabetes Study Group Japanese-English Dictionary Interface Japanese-English-Chinese Dictionary Japanese-German Center Berlin Japanese-German Frontiers of Science Japanese-language Japanese-language Japanese-lantern Japanese-Malaysia Economic Partnership Agreement Japanese-Mexican Labor Association Japanese-Russo War

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

Encyclopedia browser

Full browser

No references found

Generally, the majority of Japanese textbooks says that Hiragana symbol is used when a word cannot be written in Kanji symbol, and Katakana symbol is mainly used to represent foreign words, or names which have adopted into the Japanese writing system.

Learn Japanese Language - Do You Know That There Are 3 Different ... by Takanori Tomita / Reference and Education community

Based on recent National Asian Languages and Studies for Australian Schools (NALSAS) research, under the guidance of Andrew Serimgeour of the University of South Australia, the character catalogues and associated learning objects aim to enhance a student's understanding of the Chinese and Japanese writing systems through analysis and interaction rather than simple memorisation.

Supporting the teaching and learning of Chinese Japanese and ... by Clarke, Olivia; Gugger, Anne / Babel

Entries are listed in alphabetical order according to the romanized form of the Japanese words, but each one is also written in the traditional Japanese writing system of kanji, both the modern and old forms if applicable.

The Anime Companion 2 by Vogel, Paul T. / Reviewer's Bookwatch

Japanese Universities Graduates Association of Singapore
Japanese University Accreditation Association
Japanese University Network in the Bay Area
Japanese varnish tree
Japanese varnish tree
Japanese Vehicle Sourcing
Japanese Ventilator Users Network
Japanese Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System
Japanese Vexillological Association
Japanese Virtual Observatory
Japanese wax
Japanese Wax Privet
Japanese Wax Privet
Japanese Wax Privet
Japanese Wax Privet
Japanese wax tree
Japanese wax trees
Japanese Wideband-Code Division Multiple Access
Japanese Wineberry
Japanese wistaria
Japanese Wisteria
Japanese witch hazel
Japanese witch-hazel
Japanese Women Engineers Forum
Japanese words
Japanese words
Japanese Workers Committee for Human Rights
Japanese Workers' Co-Operative Union
Japanese writing

Japanese Writing System

Japanese writing systems
Japanese Yellow Bunting
Japanese yen
Japanese yen
Japanese yen
Japanese yen
Japanese yen
Japanese yen
Japanese yew
Japanese yew
Japanese Zen
Japanese Zen
Japanese Zen
Japanese Zen
Japanese, French, Italian, German and Spanish
Japanese, Korean, South and Southeast Asian Acquisitions
Japanese-American Acupuncture Foundation
Japanese-American Community Diabetes Study
Japanese-American Cooperative Emulsion Experiments
Japanese-Brazilian Diabetes Study Group
Japanese-English Dictionary Interface
Japanese-English-Chinese Dictionary
Japanese-German Center Berlin
Japanese-German Frontiers of Science
Japanese-language
Japanese-language
Japanese-lantern
Japanese-Malaysia Economic Partnership Agreement
Japanese-Mexican Labor Association
Japanese-Russo War