Japanese Studies Program @ York University  

JP1000 Introductory Lecture 03


JAPANESE SYLLABLES:

Basic Syllables:

a
i
u
e
o







ka
ki
ku
ke
ko


  ga
gi
gu
  ge
  go







ġa
ġi
ġu
ġe
ġo
sa
shi
(si)
su
se
so


za
ji
(zi)
zu
ze
zo
ta
chi
(ti)
tsu
(tu)
te
to


da
(ji)
(di)
(zu)
(du)
de
do
na
ni
nu
ne
no







ha
hi
fu
(hu)
he
ho


ba
bi
bu
be
bo







pa
pi
pu
pe
po
ma
mi
mu
me
mo







ya
(yi)
(i)
yu
(ye)
(e)
yo







ra
ri
ru
re
ro







wa



(wo)
(o)








Syllabic Nasal: N (= m/n/ŋ/N)

Geminates/Double Consonants: Q (= p/t/s/sh/k)

Palatalized Syllables:

kya
kyu
kyo

gya
gyu 
gyo




ġya
ġyu
ġyo
 sha
(sya)  
shu
(syu)
sho
(syo)

ja
(zya)
ju
(zyu)
jo
(zyo)
cha
(tya)
chu
(tyu)
cho
(tyo)




nya
nyu
nyo




hya
hyu
hyo

bya
byu
byo




pya
pyu
pyo
mya
myu
myo




rya
ryu
ryo




                                                                                                                               



Introduction to Japanese writing:
Two Kana syllabaries:  katakana  
hiragana

diacritics: voicing  (dakutenn) が ガ  plosive  (han-dakuten) ぱ パ

history and origin: Kana-Wikipedia

punctuation: [ten] [maru]

wakachigaki: separating words with space

Watashi wa kyoo kaimono ni ikimasu. (usually only in Romanization)
 
typefaces: shotai
minchoo-tai 'Ming Dynasty style' 
yuu-mincho-tai'yu-mincho style'
goshikku-tai 'Gothic style'
kyookasho-tai 'Textbook style'
handwriting
Romanization: Roomaji
Hebon-shiki 'Hepburn system'
Nippon-shiki 'Japan system'
Kunree-shiki 'Kunrei system'
ref. Romanization of Japanese (wiki)
The Romaji (Roomaji) Conundrum by Andrew Horvat

Introduction to Japanese writing: KATAKANA

use	loan words: 		 テニス、スーパー、デジカメ、パソコン、コンビニ、セクハラ
telegram:    チチ キトク スグ カエレ 'Father is seriously ill. Come home right away.'
IT input:  アルゴリズムデバッガー、ライブラリ、ルーチン
emphasis:  ケータイ、バカ、チクショー、ボケ
onomatopeia/mimesis:ドキドキ、キラキラ、ドカーン、バラバラ
  
rules long vowels:   ハンバーガー、チョコレート、セール
geminates: バッグ、ビッグ・マック、ピッチャー、ソックス
syllabic nasal:   センス、センター、

learn to write names:
 ナンシー、ジョン、フランセス、ピーター、キャシー、
 ワンジュー、チョンジャ、テクチャ

identify each katakana
read and write loan words
innovative writing: fi フィンランド ti パーティー ve ヴェルディ che チェロ ...


Hints & Suggestions:
link: Man'yoshu
link: Asuka and Man'yoshu

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