【Japanese Language & Culture】The History of the Japanese Language: Let's Trace the Roots of Our Words!
Hello! Today, let's learn about how the "Japanese language," which we use so casually every day, evolved into its current form.
You might feel that "Old Japanese sounds difficult or intimidating," but don't worry! Once you learn the history, you'll find modern Japanese even more interesting and relatable. Come on, let's set off on a time-travel adventure through language!
1. The Beginning of Writing: The Arrival of Kanji
In ancient times, Japan had no "writing system." People communicated solely through spoken language. Then, Kanji (Chinese characters) were introduced from China.
● The Birth of Manyogana
Back then, the Japanese thought, "Let's ignore the meaning of the Kanji and just borrow their sounds to write Japanese!" This became Manyogana.
For example, if you wanted to write the sound "a", you would use the character "安" (which has the sound 'an').
【Key Points】
・Since there was no "a-i-u-e-o" (kana alphabet) back then, everything was written in Kanji!
・The name comes from the "Man'yoshu," Japan's oldest poetry anthology, which used this writing style.
● The Invention of Hiragana and Katakana
Writing only in Kanji is exhausting, isn't it? So, the Japanese adapted Kanji to create their own unique writing systems.
① Hiragana:
Created by simplifying Kanji into flowing, cursive shapes (the cursive script style). It was primarily used by women for waka poetry and diaries (such as "The Tale of Genji") and was thus called "Onnade" (women's hand).
Example: 安 → あ
② Katakana:
Created by taking a part (a fragment) of a Kanji character. It originated as a way for Buddhist monks to take notes on how to read difficult classical Chinese texts.
Example: 伊 → イ (using the radical part of "伊")
【Key Summary】
・Kanji: Borrowed both meaning and sound.
・Hiragana: Simplified/cursive Kanji (curved lines).
・Katakana: Used parts of Kanji (straight lines).
2. The Three-Layer Structure of Vocabulary: The "Etymology" of Japanese
Japanese words can be broadly categorized into three groups. This is called the three-layer structure of vocabulary.
● Wago (Native Japanese words)
These are the ancient words of Japan, also known as "Yamato Kotoba." Many use the indigenous reading (kun-yomi) and express basic daily actions and emotions.
Examples: yama (mountain), kawa (river), taberu (to eat), ureshii (happy)
● Kango (Sino-Japanese words)
Words brought over from China or created by combining Kanji. Most use the Sino-Japanese reading (on-yomi) and are used for abstract concepts or in formal situations.
Examples: tozan (mountain climbing), kasen (rivers/streams), shokuji (meal), kofuku (happiness)
● Gairaigo (Loanwords)
Words adopted from Western languages and others. They are primarily written in Katakana.
Examples: pan (bread), kamera (camera), intanetto (internet)
【Did you know?】
Japanese is a "hybrid language" that allows us to mix all three! For example, when you say, "Today (Wago), at school (Kango), I ate lunch (Gairaigo)," the fact that we naturally switch between these categories is what makes Japanese amazing.
3. Grammatical and Phonetic Changes: The Connection Between Past and Present
Language is alive, so its form changes with time.
● The Disappearance of "Kakari-musubi"
You might learn about words like "zo, namu, ya, ka, koso" in classical Japanese class. In the past, there was a strict rule that using these words required changing the form of the verb at the end of the sentence. As time passed, this rule faded away, settling into the modern form we use today.
● From Nidan-katsuyo to Ichidan-katsuyo (Verb Conjugation Changes)
This sounds like a difficult term, but it simply means that "the types of verb conjugations decreased, making the language simpler." Perhaps modern speakers are lucky to have less to memorize!
【Common Misconception】
It is easy to think, "Old Japanese is completely different from modern Japanese," but that is a mistake. Words like "watashi" (I/me) and "anata" (you) also evolved from completely different meanings (like honorifics) into the forms we use today. History is a continuous path.
4. Modern Japanese and the Future
During the Meiji era, many new Kango (such as "jiyu" (freedom), "shakai" (society), and "keizai" (economy)) were created to express new Western ideas. These are called Wasei-Kango (Japanese-made Sino-Japanese words). Today, these have even been "re-imported" back into China and Korea!
【Closing: Important Points】
Studying the history of Japanese is also a way to understand how we have perceived the world.
1. The unique culture of possessing three types of writing: Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana.
2. Creating rich expression by combining Wago, Kango, and Gairaigo.
3. The fact that grammar and sounds have evolved over time to be easier to use.
It might feel difficult at first, but try to start by just being a little curious: "How did people say this word in the past?" Just doing that will make your Japanese class much more fun!
Summary: Remember these!
・Manyogana: Kanji that only "borrowed" the sound.
・Hiragana: Kanji that were "simplified"; Katakana: Kanji that had "parts taken out."
・Japanese is made of a mix of Wago, Kango, and Gairaigo!