Hentaigana
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Hentaigana | |
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Script type | |
Time period | c. 800 – 1900 CE; minor use at present |
Languages | Japanese |
Related scripts | |
Parent systems | |
Sister systems | Katakana, Hiragana |
ISO 15924 | |
ISO 15924 | Hira, , Hiragana |
Unicode | |
Unicode alias | Hiragana |
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Japanese writing |
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Components |
Uses |
Transliteration |
In the Japanese writing system, hentaigana (変体仮名, 変体がな, Japanese pronunciation: [hentaiɡana] or [hentaꜜiɡana], lit. "variant kana")[a] are variant forms of hiragana.[2]
History[edit]
Today, with few exceptions,[b] there is only one hiragana for each of the forty-five moras that are written without diacritics or digraphs. However, traditionally there were generally several more-or-less interchangeable hiragana for each. A 1900 script reform[c] ordained that only one selected character be used for each mora, with the rest deemed hentaigana. Today, although not normally used in publication, hentaigana are still used in shop signs and brand names to create a traditional or antiquated air.
Hiragana originate in man'yōgana, a system where kanji were used to write sounds without regard to their meaning. There was more than one kanji that could be used equivalently for each syllable (at the time, a syllable was a mora). Over time the man'yōgana was reduced to a cursive form, the hiragana. Many hentaigana derive from different kanji from the ones for the now-standard hiragana, but some are the result of different styles of cursive writing. As hentaigana have derived from man'yōgana, there are hundreds of different hentaigana used to represent only 90 moras of the Japanese language.
Katakana have variant forms, too. For example, (ネ) and
(ヰ).[4] However, katakana's variant forms are fewer than hiragana's ones. Katakana's choices of man'yōgana segments had stabilized early on and established – with few exceptions – an unambiguous phonemic orthography (one symbol per sound) long before the 1900 script regularization.[5]
Standardized hentaigana[edit]
Prior to the proposal which led to the inclusion of hentaigana in Unicode 10.0, they were already standardized into a list by Mojikiban, part of the Japanese Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA).[6]
a | i | u | e | o | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
∅ | あ(安) | い(以) | う(宇) | え(衣) | お(於) |
𛀂(安)
𛀅(惡) 𛀃(愛) 𛀄(阿) |
𛀆(以)
𛀇(伊) 𛀈(意) 𛀉(移) |
𛀊(宇)
𛀋(宇) 𛀌(憂) 𛀍(有) 𛀎(雲) |
𛀁(江)
𛀏(盈) 𛀐(縁) 𛀑(衣) 𛀒(衣) 𛀓(要) |
𛀔(於)
𛀕(於) 𛀖(隱) | |
k | か(加) | き(幾) | く(久) | け(計) | こ(己) |
𛀗(佳)
𛀘(加) 𛀙(可) 𛀚(可) 𛀛(嘉) 𛀢(家) 𛀜(我) 𛀝(歟) 𛀞(賀) 𛀟(閑) 𛀠(香) 𛀡(駕) |
𛀣(喜)[7]
𛀤(幾) 𛀥(幾) 𛀦(支) 𛀻(期) 𛀧(木) 𛀨(祈) 𛀩(貴) 𛀪(起) |
𛀫(久)
𛀬(久) 𛀭(九) 𛀮(供) 𛀯(倶) 𛀰(具) 𛀱(求) |
𛀳(介)
𛀲(介) 𛀢(家) 𛀴(希) 𛀵(氣) 𛀶(計) 𛀷(遣) |
𛀸(古)
𛂘(子) 𛀹(故) 𛀻(期) 𛀺(許) | |
s | さ(左) | し(之) | す(寸) | せ(世) | そ(曾) |
𛀼(乍)
𛀽(佐) 𛀾(佐) 𛀿(左) 𛁀(差) 𛁁(散) 𛁂(斜) 𛁃(沙) |
𛁄(之)
𛁅(之) 𛁆(事) 𛁇(四) 𛁈(志) 𛁉(新) |
𛁊(受)
𛁋(壽) 𛁌(數) 𛁍(數) 𛁎(春) 𛁏(春) 𛁐(須) 𛁑(須) |
𛁒(世)
𛁓(世) 𛁔(世) 𛁕(勢) 𛁖(聲) |
𛁗(所)
𛁘(所) 𛁙(曾) 𛁚(曾) 𛁛(楚) 𛁜(蘇) 𛁝(處) | |
t | た(太) | ち(知) | つ(州) | て(天) | と(止) |
𛁞(堂)
𛁟(多) 𛁠(多) 𛁡(當) |
𛁢(千)
𛁣(地) 𛁤(智) 𛁥(知) 𛁦(知) 𛁧(致) 𛁨(遲) |
𛁩(川)
𛁪(川) 𛁫(津) 𛁬(都) 𛁭(徒) |
𛁮(亭)
𛁯(低) 𛁰(傳) 𛁱(天) 𛁲(天) 𛁳(天) 𛁴(帝) 𛁵(弖) 𛁶(轉) 𛂎(而) |
𛁷(土)
𛁸(度) 𛁹(東) 𛁺(登) 𛁻(登) 𛁼(砥) 𛁽(等) 𛁭(徒) | |
n | な(奈) | に(仁) | ぬ(奴) | ね(祢) | の(乃) |
𛁾(南)
𛁿(名) 𛂀(奈) 𛂁(奈) 𛂂(奈) 𛂃(菜) 𛂄(那) 𛂅(那) 𛂆(難) |
𛂇(丹)
𛂈(二) 𛂉(仁) 𛂊(兒) 𛂋(爾) 𛂌(爾) 𛂍(耳) 𛂎(而) |
𛂏(努)
𛂐(奴) 𛂑(怒) |
𛂒(年)
𛂓(年) 𛂔(年) 𛂕(根) 𛂖(熱) 𛂗(禰) 𛂘(子) |
𛂙(乃)
𛂚(濃) 𛂛(能) 𛂜(能) 𛂝(農) | |
h | は(波) | ひ(比) | ふ(不) | へ(部) | ほ(保) |
𛂞(八)
𛂟(半) 𛂠(婆) 𛂡(波) 𛂢(盤) 𛂣(盤) 𛂤(破) 𛂥(者) 𛂦(者) 𛂧(葉) 𛂨(頗) |
𛂩(悲)
𛂪(日) 𛂫(比) 𛂬(避) 𛂭(非) 𛂮(飛) 𛂯(飛) |
𛂰(不)
𛂱(婦) 𛂲(布) |
𛂳(倍)
𛂴(弊) 𛂵(弊) 𛂶(遍) 𛂷(邊) 𛂸(邊) 𛂹(部) |
𛂺(保)
𛂻(保) 𛂼(報) 𛂽(奉) 𛂾(寶) 𛂿(本) 𛃀(本) 𛃁(豊) | |
m | ま(末) | み(美) | む(武) | め(女) | も(毛) |
𛃂(万)
𛃃(末) 𛃄(末) 𛃅(滿) 𛃆(滿) 𛃇(萬) 𛃈(麻) 𛃖(馬) |
𛃉(三)
𛃊(微) 𛃋(美) 𛃌(美) 𛃍(美) 𛃎(見) 𛃏(身) |
𛃐(武)
𛃑(無) 𛃒(牟) 𛃓(舞) 𛄝(无) 𛄞(无) |
𛃔(免)
𛃕(面) 𛃖(馬) |
𛃗(母)
𛃘(毛) 𛃙(毛) 𛃚(毛) 𛃛(茂) 𛃜(裳) 𛄝(无) 𛄞(无) | |
y | や(也) | 𛀆(以) | ゆ(由) | 𛀁(江) | よ(与) |
𛃝(也)
𛃞(也) 𛃟(屋) 𛃠(耶) 𛃡(耶) 𛃢(夜) |
𛀆(以) | 𛃣(游)
𛃤(由) 𛃥(由) 𛃦(遊) |
𛀁(江) | 𛃧(代)
𛃨(余) 𛃩(與) 𛃪(與) 𛃫(與) 𛃬(餘) 𛃢(夜) | |
r | ら(良) | り(利) | る(留) | れ(礼) | ろ(呂) |
𛃭(羅)
𛃮(良) 𛃯(良) 𛃰(良) 𛁽(等) |
𛃱(利)
𛃲(利) 𛃳(李) 𛃴(梨) 𛃵(理) 𛃶(里) 𛃷(離) |
𛃸(流)
𛃹(留) 𛃺(留) 𛃻(留) 𛃼(累) 𛃽(類) |
𛃾(禮)
𛃿(礼) 𛄀(連) 𛄁(麗) |
𛄂(呂)
𛄃(呂) 𛄄(婁) 𛄅(樓) 𛄆(路) 𛄇(露) | |
w | わ(和) | ゐ(為) | 𛄟(汙)[8] | ゑ(恵) | を(遠) |
𛄈(倭)
𛄉(和) 𛄊(和) 𛄋(王) 𛄌(王) |
𛄍(井)
𛄎(井) 𛄏(居) 𛄐(爲) 𛄑(遺) |
𛄒(惠)
𛄓(衞) 𛄔(衞) 𛄕(衞) |
𛄖(乎)
𛄗(乎) 𛄘(尾) 𛄙(緒) 𛄚(越) 𛄛(遠) 𛄜(遠) 𛀅(惡) | ||
n' | ん(无) | ||||
𛄝(无)
𛄞(无) |
To view hentaigana, special fonts need to be installed that support Hentaigana such as
- BabelStone Han
- IPA MJ Mincho Version 5.01 and later
- IPA MJ Mincho - MJ Character Information List Hentaigana Ver.002.01
- Hanazono Mincho
- Hanazono Mincho ADFKO
- UniHentaikana
Sources of hentaigana [edit]
Hentaigana are adapted from the reduced and cursive forms of the following man’yōgana (kanji) characters.[9] Source characters for the kana are not repeated below for hentaigana even when there are alternative glyphs; some uncertain.
In Unicode[edit]
286 hentaigana characters are included in the Unicode Standard in the Kana Supplement and Kana Extended-A blocks. One character was added to Unicode version 6.0 in 2010, 𛀁 (U+1B001 HIRAGANA LETTER ARCHAIC YE which has the formal alias HENTAIGANA LETTER E-1), and the remaining 285 hentaigana characters were added in Unicode version 10.0 in June 2017.[10]
The Unicode block for Kana Supplement is U+1B000–U+1B0FF:
Kana Supplement[1] Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF) | ||||||||||||||||
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | |
U+1B00x | 𛀀 | 𛀁 | 𛀂 | 𛀃 | 𛀄 | 𛀅 | 𛀆 | 𛀇 | 𛀈 | 𛀉 | 𛀊 | 𛀋 | 𛀌 | 𛀍 | 𛀎 | 𛀏 |
U+1B01x | 𛀐 | 𛀑 | 𛀒 | 𛀓 | 𛀔 | 𛀕 | 𛀖 | 𛀗 | 𛀘 | 𛀙 | 𛀚 | 𛀛 | 𛀜 | 𛀝 | 𛀞 | 𛀟 |
U+1B02x | 𛀠 | 𛀡 | 𛀢 | 𛀣 | 𛀤 | 𛀥 | 𛀦 | 𛀧 | 𛀨 | 𛀩 | 𛀪 | 𛀫 | 𛀬 | 𛀭 | 𛀮 | 𛀯 |
U+1B03x | 𛀰 | 𛀱 | 𛀲 | 𛀳 | 𛀴 | 𛀵 | 𛀶 | 𛀷 | 𛀸 | 𛀹 | 𛀺 | 𛀻 | 𛀼 | 𛀽 | 𛀾 | 𛀿 |
U+1B04x | 𛁀 | 𛁁 | 𛁂 | 𛁃 | 𛁄 | 𛁅 | 𛁆 | 𛁇 | 𛁈 | 𛁉 | 𛁊 | 𛁋 | 𛁌 | 𛁍 | 𛁎 | 𛁏 |
U+1B05x | 𛁐 | 𛁑 | 𛁒 | 𛁓 | 𛁔 | 𛁕 | 𛁖 | 𛁗 | 𛁘 | 𛁙 | 𛁚 | 𛁛 | 𛁜 | 𛁝 | 𛁞 | 𛁟 |
U+1B06x | 𛁠 | 𛁡 | 𛁢 | 𛁣 | 𛁤 | 𛁥 | 𛁦 | 𛁧 | 𛁨 | 𛁩 | 𛁪 | 𛁫 | 𛁬 | 𛁭 | 𛁮 | 𛁯 |
U+1B07x | 𛁰 | 𛁱 | 𛁲 | 𛁳 | 𛁴 | 𛁵 | 𛁶 | 𛁷 | 𛁸 | 𛁹 | 𛁺 | 𛁻 | 𛁼 | 𛁽 | 𛁾 | 𛁿 |
U+1B08x | 𛂀 | 𛂁 | 𛂂 | 𛂃 | 𛂄 | 𛂅 | 𛂆 | 𛂇 | 𛂈 | 𛂉 | 𛂊 | 𛂋 | 𛂌 | 𛂍 | 𛂎 | 𛂏 |
U+1B09x | 𛂐 | 𛂑 | 𛂒 | 𛂓 | 𛂔 | 𛂕 | 𛂖 | 𛂗 | 𛂘 | 𛂙 | 𛂚 | 𛂛 | 𛂜 | 𛂝 | 𛂞 | 𛂟 |
U+1B0Ax | 𛂠 | 𛂡 | 𛂢 | 𛂣 | 𛂤 | 𛂥 | 𛂦 | 𛂧 | 𛂨 | 𛂩 | 𛂪 | 𛂫 | 𛂬 | 𛂭 | 𛂮 | 𛂯 |
U+1B0Bx | 𛂰 | 𛂱 | 𛂲 | 𛂳 | 𛂴 | 𛂵 | 𛂶 | 𛂷 | 𛂸 | 𛂹 | 𛂺 | 𛂻 | 𛂼 | 𛂽 | 𛂾 | 𛂿 |
U+1B0Cx | 𛃀 | 𛃁 | 𛃂 | 𛃃 | 𛃄 | 𛃅 | 𛃆 | 𛃇 | 𛃈 | 𛃉 | 𛃊 | 𛃋 | 𛃌 | 𛃍 | 𛃎 | 𛃏 |
U+1B0Dx | 𛃐 | 𛃑 | 𛃒 | 𛃓 | 𛃔 | 𛃕 | 𛃖 | 𛃗 | 𛃘 | 𛃙 | 𛃚 | 𛃛 | 𛃜 | 𛃝 | 𛃞 | 𛃟 |
U+1B0Ex | 𛃠 | 𛃡 | 𛃢 | 𛃣 | 𛃤 | 𛃥 | 𛃦 | 𛃧 | 𛃨 | 𛃩 | 𛃪 | 𛃫 | 𛃬 | 𛃭 | 𛃮 | 𛃯 |
U+1B0Fx | 𛃰 | 𛃱 | 𛃲 | 𛃳 | 𛃴 | 𛃵 | 𛃶 | 𛃷 | 𛃸 | 𛃹 | 𛃺 | 𛃻 | 𛃼 | 𛃽 | 𛃾 | 𛃿 |
Notes
|
The Unicode block for Kana Extended-A is U+1B100–U+1B12F:
Kana Extended-A[1][2] Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF) | ||||||||||||||||
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | |
U+1B10x | 𛄀 | 𛄁 | 𛄂 | 𛄃 | 𛄄 | 𛄅 | 𛄆 | 𛄇 | 𛄈 | 𛄉 | 𛄊 | 𛄋 | 𛄌 | 𛄍 | 𛄎 | 𛄏 |
U+1B11x | 𛄐 | 𛄑 | 𛄒 | 𛄓 | 𛄔 | 𛄕 | 𛄖 | 𛄗 | 𛄘 | 𛄙 | 𛄚 | 𛄛 | 𛄜 | 𛄝 | 𛄞 | 𛄟 |
U+1B12x | 𛄠 | 𛄡 | 𛄢 | |||||||||||||
Notes |
Development of the hiragana syllabic n[edit]
The hiragana syllabic n (ん) derives from a cursive form of the character 无, and originally signified /mu͍/, the same as む. The spelling reform of 1900 separated the two uses, declaring that む could only be used for /mu͍/ and ん could only be used for syllable-final /ɴ/. Previously, in the absence of a character for the syllable-final /ɴ/, the sound was spelled (but not pronounced) identically to /mu͍/, and readers had to rely on context to determine what was intended. This ambiguity has led to some modern expressions based on what are, in effect, spelling pronunciations.[example needed]
Modern usage[edit]
Hentaigana are considered obsolete, but a few marginal uses remain. For example, otemoto (chopsticks), is written in hentaigana on some wrappers and many soba shops use hentaigana to spell kisoba on their signs. (See also: "Ye Olde" for "the old" on English signs.)
Hentaigana are used in some formal handwritten documents, particularly in certificates issued by classical Japanese cultural groups (e.g., martial art schools, etiquette schools, religious study groups, etc.). Also, they are occasionally used in reproductions of classic Japanese texts, akin to the use of blackletter in English and other Germanic languages to give an archaic flair. Modern poems may be composed and printed in hentaigana for visual effect.[11]
However, most Japanese people are unable to read hentaigana nowadays, only recognizing a few from their common use in shop signs, or figuring them out from context.
Gallery[edit]
Some of the following hentaigana are cursive forms of the same kanji as their standard hiragana counterparts, but simplified differently. Others descend from unrelated kanji that represent the same sound.
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ The hentai (変体: "variant" or "irregular form") in this word is not the same as the hentai (変態) which means "abnormal" or "pervert".
- ^ The only major exceptions are the hiragana ゐ, ゑ, and を, which historically represented the moras /wi/, /we/, and /wo/. However, due to sound changes that occurred in Japanese, they are now pronounced as /i/, /e/, and /o/, identically to い, え, and お.
- ^ The reform was decreed in the 1900 revision of the Regulations on the Enforcement of the Elementary School Ordinance (小学校令施行規則, Shōgakkō-rei Shikōkisoku) for primary school education.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ 笹原宏之, 横山詔, Eric Long (2003). 現代日本の異体字. 三省堂. pp. 35–36. ISBN 4-385-36112-6.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ 異体字とは(コトバンク)
- ^ Frellesvig, Bjarke (2010-07-29). A History of the Japanese Language. Cambridge University Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-1-139-48880-8.
- ^ 『小学略則教授法』「五十音図」
- ^ Tranter, Nicolas (2012). The Languages of Japan and Korea. Routledge. p. 218. ISBN 978-0-415-46287-7.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-09-29. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "MJ文字情報一覧表 変体仮名編". mojikiban.ipa.go.jp. The Kanji 㐂 derived from the Hentaigana of 喜. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Iannacone, Jake (2020). "Reply to The Origin of Hiragana /wu/ 平仮名のわ行うの字源に対する新たな発見"
- ^ 伊地知, 鉄男 (1966). 仮名変体集. 新典社.
- ^ "Unicode 10.0.0". Unicode Consortium. June 20, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ The Japan Interpreter. Center for Japanese Social and Political Studies. 1976. p. 395.
External links[edit]
![]() |
Look up hentaigana in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
![]() |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hentaigana for Jūminhyō. |
- Chart of hentaigana calligraphy from O'Neill's A Reader of Handwritten Japanese Archived 2006-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
- A chart of hentaigana hosted by Jim Breen of the WWWJDIC
- Chart of kana from Engelbert Kaempfer circa 1693
- Hentaigana on signs (in Japanese)
- L2/15-239 Proposal for Japanese HENTAIGANA - Unicode