Japanese

From LingWiki

Japanese

日本語
A language in the Japanese Language Family.
Alternative Names	None
Origin	Japan
Writing System	Kanji, in conjunction with Hiragana and Katakana
In Use	before 600 to the present
Official/National Language of	Japan[1]
Also Spoken in	United States
Native Speakers	~125,000,000[1]
Non-Native Speakers	~10,000,000[1]
Regulated by	Japanese Ministry of Education
ISO 639-1 Code	JA[1]
ISO 639-2 Code	JPN[1]
ISO 639-3 Code	JPN[1]
Pronunciation
English	Japanese

Contents 1 History of Japanese 1.1 Old Japanese 1.2 Late Old Japanese 1.3 Middle Japanese 1.4 Early Modern Japanese 1.5 Modern Japanese 2 Japanese Grammar 3 Japanese Writing 4 Text Sample 4.1 Hiragana Only 4.2 Romanized 5 Japanese Proverbs 6 Japanese in Other Languages 7 Teaching Materials for Japanese 7.1 Japanese Dictionaries 7.1.1 Japanese Dialect References 7.2 Verb Guides 7.3 Japanese Language Proficiency Test Prep 7.4 Miscellaneous References 8 Sources

History of Japanese

See: Japanese/history

Old Japanese

Up until 794

• Shoumangyou Gishou 勝鬘経義疏 (traditionally completed in 611)
• Yuimagyou Gishou 維摩経義疏 (traditionally completed in 613)
• Hokke Gishou 法華義疏 (traditionally believed to be the oldest Japanese text, composed in 615)
• Teiki 帝紀 (completed in 681)
• Tennouki 天皇記
• Kokki 国記
• Kyuuji 旧辞
• Kojiki 古事記
• Nihon Shoki 日本書紀 (completed in 720)
• Kaifuusou 懐風藻
• Fudoki 風土記
• Bussokusekika 仏足石歌
• Kakyou Hyoushiki 歌経標式 (completed in 772)
• Takahashi Ujibumi 高橋氏文
• Man'youshuu 万葉集

Late Old Japanese

From 794 to 1185

• Iroha 伊呂波
• Shoku Nihongi 続日本紀 (completed in 797)
• Kogo Shuui 古語拾遺 (composed in 807)
• Kujiki 旧事紀
• Ryouunshuu 凌雲集 (completed in 814)
• Bunka Shuureishuu 文華秀麗集 (completed circa 818)
• Keikokushuu 経国集 (completed in 827)
• Nihon Kouki 日本後紀 (completed in 840)
• Ishinpou 医心方
• Jouguu Shoutoku Houou Teisetsu 上宮聖徳法王帝説
• Shoku Nihon Kouki 続日本後紀 (completed in 869)
• Nihon Montoku Tennou Jitsuroku 日本文徳天皇実録 (completed in 879)
• Ametsuchi no Uta 天地の歌
• Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku 日本三代実録 (completed in 901)
• Kokin Wakashuu 古今和歌集 (completed circa 914)
• Eiga Monogatari 栄花物語
• Tosa Nikki 土佐日記
• Gosen Wakashuu 後撰和歌集 (compiled in 951)
• Ookagami 大鏡
• Fusoushuu 扶桑集 (compiled between 995 and 999)
• Ise Monogatari 伊勢物語
• Shuui Wakashuu 拾遺和歌集 (completed in 1007)
• Genji Monogatari 源氏物語
• Goshuui Wakashuu 後拾遺和歌集 (ordered in 1075, completed in 1086)
• Kin'you Wakashuu 金葉和歌集 (first draft finished in 1124, second in 1127)
• Shika Wakashuu 詞花和歌集 (ordered in 1144, completed circa 1152)
• Imakagami 今鏡 (completed in 1170)
• Senzai Wakashuu 千載和歌集 (ordered in 1183, completed in 1187)
• Fusou Ryakuki 扶桑略記

Middle Japanese

From 1185 to 1573. Covers the end of the Heian period, the Kamakura period, and ends along with the Muromachi period.

• Mizukagami 水鏡 (circa 1195)
• Shin Kokin Wakashuu 新古今和歌集 (commissioned in 1201, presented to the emperor in 1205)
• Shinchokusen Wakashuu 新勅撰和歌集 (completed in 1234)
• Hyakunin Isshu 百人一首 (circa 1235)
• Shokugosen Wakashuu 続後撰和歌集 (completed in 1251)
• Shokukokin Wakashuu 続古今和歌集 (ordered in 1259, completed in 1265)
• Shokushuui Wakashuu 続拾遺和歌集 (ordered in 1276, completed in 1278)
• Heike Monogatari 平家物語
• Shingosen Wakashuu 新後撰和歌集 (ordered in 1301, completed in 1303)
• Gyokuyou Wakashuu 玉葉和歌集 (ordered in 1311, completed circa 1313)
• Shokusenzai Wakashuu 続千載和歌集 (ordered in 1318, completed circa 1320)
• Shokugoshuui Wakashuu 続後拾遺和歌集 (ordered in 1323, completed circa 1325)
• Fuuga Wakashuu 風雅和歌集 (completed circa 1345)
• Renri Hishou 連理秘抄 (written circa 1349)
• Shinsenzai Wakashuu 新千載和歌集 (ordered in 1356, completed in 1359)
• Shinshuui Wakashuu 新拾遺和歌集 (ordered in 1363, completed in 1364)
• Masukagami 増鏡 (circa 1370)
• Shingoshuui Wakashuu 新後拾遺和歌集 (ordered in 1375, completed circa 1383, revised in 1384)
• Azuma Kagami 吾妻鏡
• Shin'you Wakashuu 新葉和歌集 (presented to the emperor on December 3, 1381)
• Shinshokukokin Wakashuu 新続古今和歌集 (ordered in 1433, completed circa 1439)

Early Modern Japanese

See Also: [[Classical Japanese]]
From 1573 to 1945.

• Oku no Hosomichi おくのほそ道 (published in 1702)
• Hagakure 葉隱 (compiled from 1709 to 1716)
• Kurofune 黒船 (circa 1854)
• Myoujou 明星 (literary magazine first published from February 1900 through November 1908. Revived from 1921 to 1927, and again from 1947 to 1949.)
• Ame ni mo Makezu 雨ニモマケズ
• Umashimen ka na 生ましめんかな

Modern Japanese

From 1945 to the present.

Japanese Grammar

• Japanese Particles
• Japanese Verb Endings
  • Type I verbs
  • Type II verbs
  • Type III verbs
• On vs. Kun readings

Japanese Writing

• Hiragana
• Katakana
• Kanji
  • Jouyou Kanji
  • Jinmei-you Kanji

Text Sample

すべての人間は、生まれながらにして自由であり、かつ、尊厳と権利とについて平等である。人間は、理性と良心を受けられてあり、互いに同胞の精神をもって行動しなければならない。
-Article 1, “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights^[2]

Hiragana Only

すべてのにんげんは、うまれながらにしてじゆうであり、かつ、そんげんとけんりとについてひょうどうである。にんげんは、りせいとりょうしんをうけられてあり、たがいにどうほうのせいしんをもってこうどうしなければならない。
-Article 1, “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Romanized

Subete no ningen wa, umarenagara ni shite jiyuu de ari, katsu, songen to kenri to ni tsuite hyoudou de aru. Ningen wa, risei to ryoushin wo ukerarete ari, tagai ni douhou no seishin wo motte koudou shinakereba naranai.
-Article 1, “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Japanese Proverbs

• 猿も木から落ちる。 (Saru mo ki kara ochiru.)
  • Even monkeys fall from trees.

Japanese in Other Languages

See: Japanese/translate

Teaching Materials for Japanese

• Rosetta Stone
• Before You Know It
• Reading Tutor (Analyzes Japanese text and allows point and click translation of difficult words into English, German, Dutch, or Spanish. Interface is in Japanese only)
• KanjiClinic.com (an editorial intended to help students learn the complete set of Jouyou Kanji)
• Charles Kelly's Online Japanese Language Study Materials (a wide range of Japanese language resources covering all areas)

Japanese Dictionaries

• EDICT (the most authoritative online Japanese dictionary)
• Japanese Thesaurus (interface is only in Japanese)
• Infoseek Kanji Dictionary (includes name readings, interface is only in Japanese)
• Cojak.org (cross-linguistic Chinese character dictionary)

Japanese Dialect References

All resources in this section are Japanese-only unless otherwise noted

• Japanese slang dictionary
• Hamahama-ben
• Hokkaidou-ben
  • Hokkaidou-ben
  • Hokkaidou-ben
  • Hokkaidou-ben
  • Hokkaidou-ben
  • Hokkaidou-ben
  • Hokkaidou-ben
  • Hokkaidou-ben
• Iwate-ben
  • Iwate-ben
• Otaru-ben
• Souma-ben
• Tokachi-ben

Verb Guides

• 501 Japanese Verbs

Japanese Language Proficiency Test Prep

• The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles (Responsible for administering the test in the United States)
• JLPT Kanji.com
• KanjiClinic.com (Nonstandard kanji required for JLPT Level 1)

Miscellaneous References

• Dylan W.H. Sung (an extensive collection of references on Chinese characters, including Japanese kanji simplification)
• The Jouyou Kanji (list of all Jouyou Kanji divided by grade level, as well as several nonstandard but useful characters)
• Japanese Numeral Counters (extensive list of Japanese classifiers)
• Pitch accent in the Japanese language (an editorial on Japanese tonality)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Japanese language. (2008, May 8). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:03, May 9, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japanese_language&oldid=211086854
2. ↑ Unicode Consortium, “UDHR in Unicode - Translations sorted by name,” http://www.unicode.org/udhr/index_by_name.html, 2/18/08.