Japanese is a diverse system of spoken and written language that
was originally and is still being composed of what many will call
"
loan words". To date, the
written language has evolved into three unique forms --
Kanji (Chinese
characters),
Hiragana and
Katakana; forms of language
which have been molded over time through specific practices heavy
with Japanese cultural influence. The Japanese language is spoken
by over 125-million people in the world
(2010 World census)
and in dozens of different dialects.
Taking a quick look at the geography of Japan and surrounding
areas,
Korea (now split
between north and south) is directly west of Japan and that
northern Korea runs right into the heart of
China. It is suspected that the Chinese
script had been imported through travel and trade between Japan and
Korea. Before 4th Century AD Japan did not have a writing system of
its own and later adopted Chinese script to represent the syllables
of the Japanese native tongue. Along with this new means for
communicating came a rich culture exchange that is still evident
today.
Although much of the Japanese script is composed of official
Chinese characters, Japanese actually has no real relation to the
Chinese language! It is easy to see upon hearing the two languages
side by side that no two syllables are the same. The use of Chinese
characters to represent Japanese syllables is known as
Manyogana, which could be confusing when
using the traditional Chinese usage. In order to make this clear
and differentiate between languages the Japanese created their
earliest forms of original script --
Hiragana and later
Katakana.
Hiragana developed from the very elegant, flowing style of
"
sosho" or Chinese
calligraphy. It was also referred to as
onnade or "
woman's hand" because women were often
restricted to writing in Kanji. Men wrote in Kanji or Katakana, the
more angular of the two.
Katakana derived from abbreviated Chinese characters and was
originally used to represent Kanji for men. Like Hiragana, Katakana
was also alternatively labeled
otokode or "
men's hand". Katakana is also used by the
Ainu people of Northern Japan
and
Hokkaido.
Kanji, originally Chinese characters, are still used today in
conjunction with Hiragana and sometimes Katakana. Collectively,
these sets of characters are called Kana. So now we have Kanji for
Chinese characters and Kana for their Japanese representation.
However, what would explain the pronunciation of a particular
kanji?
Furigana is a Japanese
reading aid consisting of miniature Kana placed above or to the
right of Kanji to indicate proper pronunciation, which in turn can
also lead one to the proper meaning of a word. Furigana can help
learn new Kanji and will become a good aid for advanced Japanese
lessons.
Don’t fret over learning thousands of characters at once because
the accumulation of new knowledge on a daily basis will be
significant within
days,
months,
and
years. Remember that if you’re not learning,
you’re losing potential knowledge. We do recommend at least
5 Kanji characters per day on
average because if 1,945 Kanji is learned one day at a time, it
will take approximately 5-years to learn them. Learn 5 each day and
it should only take a year. Learn 10 and it becomes 6 months and so
on…
Please refrain from the excitement of learning Kanji until the more
advanced lessons. We've got much to learn already and we have
amazing techniques to speed up learning Kanji that isn't even
taught in Japanese public schools very much.
Throughout these lessons you will be given special instructions on
how to study certain types of material which will boost your
learning speed. Every article has a commentary system where any
member can ask questions relating to the lessons or even provide
lesson tips. After all, it’s far better to learn Japanese with
someone helping you and possibly even learning with you.
You may like to consider joining a
study group
to find others whom will study with you.
