The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-26
Wanted. An Alphabet.

Had the japanese done nothing else to
deserve the name Of Yankees OF the East,
"A measure which is seriously propounded
in the Mikado's Cabinet would demon
strate that acuteness and that indepen-
deuce of mind which is reckless OF prece-
dent and fruitful Of progress.
II j. proposed to abandon the clmbrous
written language, or rather languages,
with which their history. religion, and
civilization are blended, and TO substitute n
simpler ana more elastic scheme of nota-
ton. II is known that MoRt formerly
charge ddfdires Mt Washington. recon-
mends the English language; and II IL
probable that one OF the European graphic
systems based on the Latin character and
not the Russian system, will be finally
adopted in japan.
The significance OF this movement, and
its remarkable necessity. will be under
stood if we recall the radical deficiencies
in their method Of writing which rear
themselves, like another Chinese wall, in
the pathway OF enlightenment and ma
tiona growth. The fact is that the three
written languages employed in japanese
books are mere syllabaries, or, in other
words, schemes OF notation whose unit
il n syllable, and not a letter. What they
have never had, and what they mean 10
have, is not SO much language III an al
phabet.
The written languages hitherto used by
the japanese are described by NJ. Marry
as all OF Chinese origin. Chinese
books found their way into Japan not
iuI ind ..f
Gaining in this way some acquaintance
with the idiom of the Middle Empire, the
| japanese were led TO adopt its written
| characters. But the spoken languages of
| the two countries differ widely in gram
mar and pronunciation. In order, there
| fore, to pronounce these signs, 10 which
| the Chinese attached certain monosyllabic
sounds, II was necessary so to modify their
phonet g value as to adapt them to Japan
| csc mouths. At the same time "A read just
| ment OF syntaX and iniexiOns in conform
| ity with the national idiom was effected by
some additional marks incorporated with
| the foreign characters. Thus was consti-
tuted the scheme of notation, half pictorial
and halt syllable, known "a Man-yo-kana,
which ut first was as complex and intract-
| ublt ho Aht Nhlil'HNf DuN DihNilNt llt
written signs were gradually reduced to
n small number, just sufficient TO represent
the various syllables articulated in the
| spoken tongue OF Japan namely, forty
seven characters. In this way a true sylla-
bic language, such as the Chinese never
had, was constructed, and II is in this inn
proved form of the Man-yo-kana that the
most ancient japanese writings are pre-
| served.
Five centuries later japanese bonze,
who had resided some time in China with
the object, doubtless, OF studying in the
Buddhist schools, introduced a new sylla-
barry OF forty-seven characters, modelled
indeed on Chinese signs but much abbre-
waited, only four characters in this system
retaining the integral outline OF the type
which suggested them. This second species
OF notation, called Kata-kana, or frag.
ment writing" was much simpler In its
forms and more easily traced by the pencil.
Stll, the rectangular shape OF the new
characters. while favorable Ia legibility,