[Notes] [New/Old Kana Usage Version] Enjoying Japanese with Old Kana Usage
Thanks to a comment from Takenomiya-san, I gained a perspective I hadn't even considered when writing this article, so I immediately
revised it into a new/old kana usage version. (The old kana usage is being corrected as needed.)
[New Kana Usage Version]
The new kana usage we use daily was established only about seventy years ago.
Until then, what had been used by Japanese people was the old kana usage.
Refined over a long period of history, the old kana is rational and beautiful.
Also, it conveys etymology and meaning accurately.
Actually, it is a far more convenient notation system than the new kana usage (^^)
For example, it looks like this.
"Kono ahida wa arigatau" (Thank you for the other day)
"Dewa shichiji ni ahimashou" (Then let's meet at seven)
"Kinou kara ame ga futte iru" (It has been raining since yesterday)
If you write your daily diary, etc., in old kana and savor the beauty of the Japanese language, the words will sink into your heart.
I think it might be fun to try using it in daily conversation as well (^^)
For example, I think it is originally very rare for prejudices to be corrected by reading books.
This is because people usually only choose books in a direction that reinforces their own prejudices.
That happens if you only choose books based on your own preferences, doesn't it? ^^;
Therefore, sometimes, if you try reading books recommended by others, you might encounter a rare opportunity where the scales fall from your eyes.
Why not try reading a book you might find resistant (for example, Jin'ichi Konishi's "Kobun no Dokkai" [Reading Classical Japanese], etc.)?
"Kobun no Dokkai" (Chikuma Gakugei Bunko) by Jin'ichi Konishi
When the old and new kana usage systems were in conflict, Mr. Konishi was a miraculous master of language who ignored such fluctuations entirely and was able to write "Kobun no Dokkai" using only words that could be spelled the same in both old and new kana, so I think this book is worth reading.
The reason old kana usage feels elegant is that it is a language that has been used for a thousand years, so it is only natural that it feels nostalgic.
Furthermore, old kana usage is extremely rational grammatically, effortless, and also makes sense phonologically, you know (^^)
That is to be expected.
Because grammatical rules that do not make sense should have been naturally weeded out throughout history.
In any case, if we do not make the effort to remember the characters and words of the old era, at that point, the Japanese language will certainly decline.
Setting aside reading, you might think that writing sentences in old kana usage is a different matter.
However, if you can just master the 'wi' ('wiru') and the 'ha-row conjugations' (such as 'iufu' and 'tatoeba'), you will be able to handle 80% of it, so I think you can learn the other minor rules as you use them.
And in the first place, whether it is new kana usage or old kana usage, it is a story about the spelling problem in the grand Japanese language of new and old kana, isn't it?
I think that even if I spent my whole life on it, I would never be able to understand it completely anyway.
I also make mistakes all the time ^^;
With that kind of feeling, if you use it even while making mistakes, I think you will soon become good at it.
I think it is also interesting to try learning old kana usage with a relaxed attitude.
New kana usage is something where a different system of principles (e.g., half-baked phoneticism, etc.) was forcibly applied to the traditional notation system, like grafting bamboo onto a tree.
Therefore, the reality is that it is a system that contains contradictions and unreasonable points in various respects.
However, perhaps it is the fate of language that some unreasonableness and contradictions will arise, so that point might be unavoidable.
The problem is that because people like us who received postwar education have lost the ability to read old kana, we remain disconnected from the classics unless we consciously engage with them.
Itsuro Sakisaka said in 'Reading is Joy' that 'classics are, in some sense, books of reform.'
In other words, by focusing our learning on the 'past' as well, in order to balance it between the 'present' and the 'future,' it relativizes the values of my tiny self living in the present.
As a result, I believe that depending on what you find there, you have the potential to gain the power to create a great future.
I think we should be given the opportunity to acquire old kana usage not as a liberal art but as a system, but in the modern age, since it is left to individual initiative, it is quite difficult to achieve equal opportunity for learning ^^;
Incidentally, Japan has many words that express aesthetic ideals, such as "miyabi" (elegance), "yugen" (profound grace), "wabi-sabi" (transient beauty), and "iki" (chic), doesn't it?
Also, Sei Shonagon's "The Pillow Book" is so often called "literature of okashi" that "okashi" (an expression of the deep, tasteful interest or joy felt from things like the seasonal scenery; also described as a bright, intellectual sense of beauty, representing feelings of 'lovely,' 'like,' or 'good') appears and is used as a word to express aesthetic ideals, which is enjoyable.
And in recent years, new aesthetic ideals like "emoi" (emotional), "moe" (affectionate attachment), and "baeru" (photogenic) have appeared, and it is interesting to realize that new words are being born one after another along with the times.
It is said that words expressing such aesthetic consciousness were established starting in the Heian period.
Since then, up to the present day, while many words have fallen out of use over time, words that have been passed down to the present day while changing little by little are, after all, charming.
Come to think of it, I was surprised to find a passage in "The Pillow Book" lamenting the corruption of language among young people at the time (e.g., not liking the "to-nuki" words of the era, etc.).
Don't you think it's interesting in its own way to consider that young people's slang, buzzwords, and even words used incorrectly (e.g., "ra-nuki" words) have become common and established before we knew it, and that language is something that changes in that way?
Even if it's a misunderstanding (^^)
[Old Kana Usage Version]
The new kana usage that we use daily was established only about 70 years ago.
Until then, what had been used by Japanese people was the old kana usage.
The old kana, which was refined over a long period of time in history, is rational and beautiful.
Also, the etymology and meaning are conveyed accurately.
Actually, it is a much more convenient notation method than the new kana usage (^^)
For example, it looks like this.
"Kono ahida wa arigatau" (Thank you for the other day)
"Dewa shichiji ni ahimaseu" (Then let's meet at seven o'clock)
"Kinou kara ame ga futte iru" (It has been raining since yesterday)
If you try writing your daily diary, etc., in old kana and savor the beauty of the Japanese language, the words will soak into your heart.
I think it might be fun to try using it in daily conversation as well (^^)
For example, it is, by nature, extremely rare for reading a book to correct one's prejudices, I think.
This is because people usually only choose books that reinforce their own prejudices.
If you only choose books based on your own preferences, that is what happens, isn't it? ^^;
Therefore, sometimes, if you try reading books recommended by others, you might encounter that rare opportunity where the scales fall from your eyes.
Why not try reading a book that you might find resistant (for example, Jin'ichi Konishi's "Kobun no Dokkai" [Reading Classical Japanese], etc.)?
"Kobun no Dokkai" (Chikuma Gakugei Bunko) by Jin'ichi Konishi
Mr. Konishi was a miraculous master of language who, when the old and new kana usage debate was heated, ignored such fluctuations entirely and was able to write "Kobun no Dokkai" using only words that have the same spelling in both old and new kana usage, so I think this book is worth reading.
The reason old kana usage feels elegant is that it is a language that has been used for a thousand years, so it is only natural that it feels nostalgic.
Furthermore, old kana usage is grammatically extremely rational, effortless, and also phonologically sound, isn't it? (^^)
That is to be expected.
Grammatical rules that do not make sense should have been naturally weeded out throughout history.
In any case, if we do not remember the characters and words of the old era, at that point, the Japanese language will certainly decline.
Setting aside reading, you might think that writing sentences in old kana usage is a different matter.
However, if you can master just the "wi" ("wiru") and the "ha-row conjugations" ("iu", "tatoeba", etc.), you can handle eighty percent of it, so I think you can learn the other minor rules as you use them.
And, after all, whether it is new kana usage or old kana usage, it is a story about the grand spelling problem in the Japanese language, isn't it?
I think that even if I spend my whole life, I will never be able to understand it completely anyway.
I make mistakes all the time too ^^;
With that kind of feeling, if you use it even while making mistakes, I think you will soon become good at it.
I think it is interesting to learn old kana usage with a relaxed attitude.
New kana usage is something where a different system of principles (e.g., half-baked phoneticism, etc.) was forcibly applied to the traditional notation system, like grafting bamboo onto a tree.
Therefore, the reality is that it has become a system fraught with contradictions and unreasonable aspects in various ways.
However, it may be the fate of language that some unreasonableness and contradictions arise, so that point might be unavoidable.
The problem is that because people like us, who received postwar education, have lost the ability to read old kana, we remain disconnected from the classics unless we consciously engage with them.
Itsuro Sakisaka mentioned in "Reading is Joy" that "Classics are, in some sense, books of reform."
In other words, by applying our focus of learning to the "past" as well, in order to balance it between the "present" and the "future," it relativizes the values of my own small self living in the present.
As a result, I believe there is a possibility of gaining the power to create a great future depending on what one finds there.
I think we should be given the opportunity to learn old kana usage as a system rather than just as a liberal art, but in modern times, since it is left to individual initiative, it is quite difficult to achieve equal opportunity for learning ^^;
By the way, in Japan, there are many words that express aesthetic ideals, such as "Miyabi" (elegance), "Yugen" (profound grace), "Wabi-Sabi" (transient beauty), and "Iki" (chic).
Also, Sei Shonagon's "The Pillow Book" is so often called "literature of okashi" that "okashi" (which expresses the deep taste, interest, and joy felt from the scenery of the four seasons, etc.; also described as a bright, intellectual sense of beauty, expressing feelings of finding something lovely, likable, or good) appears and is used as a word to express aesthetic ideals, which is enjoyable.
Furthermore, in recent years, new aesthetic ideals such as "emoi" (emotional), "moe" (adoration), and "baeru" (photogenic) have appeared, and it is interesting to realize that new words are being born one after another along with the times.
It is said that words expressing such aesthetic consciousness were established starting from the Heian period.
Since then, up to the present day, while many words have fallen out of use along with the times, words that have been passed down to the present while changing little by little are, after all, attractive.
Come to think of it, I was surprised to find a section in "The Pillow Book" that laments the corruption of young people's language at the time (e.g., not liking the "to-nuki" words of the era).
Don't you think it's interesting to think that young people's language, buzzwords, and even words used incorrectly (e.g., "ra-nuki" words) have become common and established before we knew it, and that language is something that changes in that way?
Even if it is a misunderstanding (^^)
[Reference Materials]
Historical Kana Usage That Is Easy to Remember
https://www.jinja.co.jp/kana-kantan01.html
1. "ifu" or "iu"?
2. "eru," "heru," or "weru"?
3. "wa, i, u, e, o" in the middle or end of a word generally become "ha, hi, fu, he, ho"
https://www.jinja.co.jp/kana-kantan02.html
4. Words that are written as "wa" even when "wa" comes in the middle or end of a word
5. Words that are written as "i" even when "i" comes in the middle or end of a word
6. Words that are written as "u" even when "u" comes in the middle or end of a word
https://www.jinja.co.jp/kana-kantan03.html
7. Words that are written as "e" or "we" even when "e" comes in the middle or end of a word
8. Cases where "o" at the beginning, middle, or end of a word is written as "wo"
9. "wiru" and "iru"
https://www.jinja.co.jp/kana-kantan04.html
10. "yau" and "you"
11. "kau shite" and "sau shite"
12. "arigatau" and "omedetau"
https://www.jinja.co.jp/kana-kantan05.html
13. "Mukou" (向ふ) and "Mukou" (向う)
14. "di" and "ji", "du" and "zu"
15. "Izu" (出ず) and "Izu" (出づ)