Comments on: The Origin of Hiragana

By: Japanese scripts: Kana (+ cheat sheet) | NihongoUp

Japanese scripts: Kana (+ cheat sheet) | NihongoUp — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 16:02:14 +0000

[...] of hiragana, I suggest you to read the great guest post by Brett Fyfield at Caught*Red-handed: The Origin of Hiragana.Katakana—characterized by short, straight strokes and angular corners—is the simplest of the [...]

By: caughtredhanded

caughtredhanded — Sun, 02 May 2010 11:39:49 +0000

Hey Elliot and thanks for your comments.

When I was at university Chomsky was also still God and though his influences seems to have ebbed away slightly, I still feel that his work is extremely relevant.

Brett is most definitely an authority on this kind of thing so I would second his suggestion of Deguchi; if I'm honest it was only recently through conversations with Brett that I learnt of this individual, but he seems to have some pretty fantastic things to say on your subject. Happy reading!

By: Rainbowhill

Rainbowhill — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:49:02 +0000

No worries Elliot, there is a tendency for some people to over complicate things. For an interesting perspective of the role of sounds in conveying meaning I suggest you investigate Kotodama and the work of Onisaburo Deguchi. Considered by many to be a dangerous eccentric, he left behind a legacy of artwork, poetry and pottery that is highly respected today.

By: Rainbowhill

Rainbowhill — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:40:50 +0000

It certainly feels like there is a certain rhythm to it, and that may be adjusted. The Japanese term for to people having an animated conversation is “aizuchi” or “meeting hammers”.

By: Elliott Manley

Elliott Manley — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:48:37 +0000

Also.. the idea of morae as a timing unit… how real does that FEEL to you (as distinct from the constant assertions that it is fact)? I have been unable to find any convincing research to support the theory but some evidence that the whole idea of linguistic timing units in any language is fanciful.

By: Elliott Manley

Elliott Manley — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:45:49 +0000

Hi, I'd really appreciate your insight and opinion on this…
I have read dozens of linguistic articles on morae and, specifically, morae in Japanese and I am coming to the opinion that it's a lot simpler than linguists would have us believe. It seems to me that mother-tongue Japanese-speakers feel the importance of the mora in their language for no other reason than that they learned to read and write using hiragana. The key to this, I think, lies in the perception of “-n” as a separate mora. This does not fit into any pure linguistic definition of morae but is perfectly explained by it having its own kana.
I do think that linguists have an odd tendency to believe in pseudoscience. When I studied linguistics it was in the days when Chomsky was God. Hence my tendency to scepticism. As I'm aware of my prejudice against prevailing theories, I thought I'd seek informed opinion. And your opinion seems as informed as any!
Thanks in advance

By: What Did They Tweet? 9/29-10/4 | Teacher Reboot Camp

What Did They Tweet? 9/29-10/4 | Teacher Reboot Camp — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:33:50 +0000

[...] Fyfield shared this passionate post about the origin of Hirigana, a component of written Japanese and the name of the woman who originated it. Within this post, you [...]

By: @rainbowhill

@rainbowhill — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:57:20 +0000

That's about right, but the scope of katakana goes much further than most people would be aware. I may reserve this topic for another post. The development and usage of katakana is equally, if not more interesting to my mind, than that of hiragana.

By: The Envoy

The Envoy — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:28:39 +0000

Interesting take on the origins of Japanese writing. Katakana is used nowadays for foreign words which aren't originally (prior to Westernization) in the Japanese vocabulary, right?

By: JapanSoc

JapanSoc — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:40:24 +0000

The Origin of Hiragana…

In the first in a new series at Caught*Red-handed, Brett Fyfield imparts with some of his superior knowledge on the origin of hiragana, right from conception as a wee toddler to the amazing, wonderful Mother of Japanese that she is today…..