Comments on: Japan Enters the Typewriter Race http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/ a web journal on Japan and elsewhere Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Tokyo Story » Blog Archive » Neojaponisme http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/comment-page-1/#comment-1363 Tokyo Story » Blog Archive » Neojaponisme Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:23:13 +0000 http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/#comment-1363 [...] of Japanophilia, Marxy and crew, bring you articles on Japanese culture. I found this one on how the Japanese writing system was almost reformed to phase out Kanji (Chinese Characters)! [...] [...] of Japanophilia, Marxy and crew, bring you articles on Japanese culture. I found this one on how the Japanese writing system was almost reformed to phase out Kanji (Chinese Characters)! [...]

]]> By: Matt TREYVAUD http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/comment-page-1/#comment-1243 Matt TREYVAUD Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:25:57 +0000 http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/#comment-1243 Some, but not all. All of the seikos are the same, for example. The fact is that they don't really need to differentiate between them because (as noted above) in the vast majority of spoken situations, context supplies all the information people need. I'm not convinced that holds in the case of writing, because of the differences between writing and speech. Some, but not all. All of the seikos are the same, for example. The fact is that they don’t really need to differentiate between them because (as noted above) in the vast majority of spoken situations, context supplies all the information people need. I’m not convinced that holds in the case of writing, because of the differences between writing and speech.

]]> By: W. David MARX http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/comment-page-1/#comment-1228 W. David MARX Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:00:05 +0000 http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/#comment-1228 Those are only yamato kotoba homonyms, right? Are there pitch accent differences for imported Chinese words? Those are only yamato kotoba homonyms, right? Are there pitch accent differences for imported Chinese words?

]]> By: Anymouse http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/comment-page-1/#comment-1227 Anymouse Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:57:19 +0000 http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/#comment-1227 But they can differentiate some of them with pitch accent, can't they? But they can differentiate some of them with pitch accent, can’t they?

]]> By: Néojaponisme on Katakana Typography Reform « Far Outliers http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/comment-page-1/#comment-1220 Néojaponisme on Katakana Typography Reform « Far Outliers Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:21:59 +0000 http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/#comment-1220 [...] on Katakana Typography Reform Jump to Comments Matt of No-sword has posted on Néojaponisme an interesting profile of Yamashita Yoshitarō and the efforts of the Kanamojikai [...] [...] on Katakana Typography Reform Jump to Comments Matt of No-sword has posted on Néojaponisme an interesting profile of Yamashita Yoshitarō and the efforts of the Kanamojikai [...]

]]> By: Nihongo Notes » Links of interest http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/comment-page-1/#comment-1217 Nihongo Notes » Links of interest Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:17:13 +0000 http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/#comment-1217 [...] Japan Enters the Typewriter Race Fascinating article! Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...] [...] Japan Enters the Typewriter Race Fascinating article! Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

]]> By: W. David MARX http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/comment-page-1/#comment-1216 W. David MARX Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:34:27 +0000 http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/#comment-1216 Yes, the problem was erasing the tones - which were crucial for differentiation. Yes, the problem was erasing the tones – which were crucial for differentiation.

]]> By: Christopher http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/comment-page-1/#comment-1215 Christopher Sun, 24 Feb 2008 06:00:04 +0000 http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/#comment-1215 Isn't this issue with the homonyms because of the way the words (or pieces of words, anyway) were taken from Chinese? In Chinese I imagine (I don't know any Chinese) they don't have this same problem because the tones distinguish words that sound the same in Japanese. When I first started learning Japanese, I hated kanji and appreciated the simple pronunciation, but these days I find the written language both more expressive and easier to understand than the spoken. Isn’t this issue with the homonyms because of the way the words (or pieces of words, anyway) were taken from Chinese? In Chinese I imagine (I don’t know any Chinese) they don’t have this same problem because the tones distinguish words that sound the same in Japanese.
When I first started learning Japanese, I hated kanji and appreciated the simple pronunciation, but these days I find the written language both more expressive and easier to understand than the spoken.

]]> By: W. David MARX http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/comment-page-1/#comment-1214 W. David MARX Sun, 24 Feb 2008 02:57:19 +0000 http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/#comment-1214 <i>I think the issue would be resolved pretty quickly, to be honest, by writing styles gradually coming closer to speech</i> I think it's interesting how a certain sound - say せいこう - can be the onyomi for 12-15 different words, but in speech, is pretty much limited to being "success" (成功). You'd have to really nail the context to get it to signal "sexual intercourse" (性交). 精巧 - exquisite - works because it's a na-adjective. All the other homophones are so clunky to use that most people learn naturally to ignore them if they can. (Maybe the same reason we generally avoid saying "niggardly"...) I think the issue would be resolved pretty quickly, to be honest, by writing styles gradually coming closer to speech

I think it’s interesting how a certain sound – say せいこう – can be the onyomi for 12-15 different words, but in speech, is pretty much limited to being “success” (成功). You’d have to really nail the context to get it to signal “sexual intercourse” (性交). 精巧 – exquisite – works because it’s a na-adjective. All the other homophones are so clunky to use that most people learn naturally to ignore them if they can. (Maybe the same reason we generally avoid saying “niggardly”…)

]]> By: Heraclitean Fire — Links http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/comment-page-1/#comment-1210 Heraclitean Fire — Links Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:25:51 +0000 http://neojaponisme.com/2008/02/21/japan-enters-the-typewriter-race/#comment-1210 [...] Néojaponisme » Japan Enters the Typewriter Race The story of one Japanese spelling reformer’s plan to ditch kanji and redesign katakana for better legibility. (tags: Japan Japanese katakana typewriters interesting) [...] [...] Néojaponisme » Japan Enters the Typewriter Race The story of one Japanese spelling reformer’s plan to ditch kanji and redesign katakana for better legibility. (tags: Japan Japanese katakana typewriters interesting) [...]

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