Foreword

The Korean Past of Japan and a Manufactured Language

E-Pyo Chung

1. The language of early Japan. II. Theories on the origin of the Japanese language. III. Kana in Chinese characters( f; I). IV. Readings of Chinese characters(CC). V. "How to say" notations, and others.

A). How to say notations. B). Descent from heaven decree. C). Yamato-kotoba.

VI. DaJ (K. moon) in Yamato-kotoba. VII. Methods of Japanese word-making.

A). The prototype. B). Two CC with similar meaning (2=). C). The second character of Chinese word (2/).

D). The first character of Chinese word (1). E). Reversing the order of CC ((jJ).

VIII. Specialmethods.* A). The so~me~ha (') ~ / ~/,). B). The crow (karasu). C). Compound words. D). Antonyms. E). A-B(Efl-Z), 8-9(/\-)['), 8-7(/~-t).

F). The versatile farm(EB) and king(::E). G). The complete Korean reading of CC. H). Homonyms.

IX. Korean with a final consonant. X. Korean without a final consonant. XI. Numerals. XII. Selected CC. XIII. Selected kana. XIV. Special methods, continued.* XV. The verb ending: -ru, -reru. XVI. Human anatomy. XVII. The Thousand Character Text. XVIII. Words from the same CC. XIX. Yasumaro's messages. XX. Conclusion. Reference. Glossary.

3 4 8 14 25 36 36 38 39 45 50 50 55 59 70 72 76 76 81 88 91 94 96 104 104 107 119 125 138 157 179 199 207 211 217 229 243 253 257

CC: Chinese character(s).

JR: Japanese reading of CC.

KR: Korean reading of CC.

Three Korean kingdoms before the unification in the i h century by Silla:

Koguryeo (K. r'EQ/pJ Jjg)=Koguri (J. r'EQ/pJ Jjg).

Paekche (K. B~)=Kudara (J. B~).

Silla (K. *fdit)=Shiragi (J. *JT*i).

This book was translated from the expanded and revised Korean text:

"To Solve the Crow's Secret' (Japanese: A Manvfactured lang'l.1age),28 1997.

ISBN 89-87548-01-5.

Copyright Registration Number: TXu 1-240-268.

2

Foreword.

Yamato-kotoba defines the pure native Japanese language or words. Since W.G. Aston's

paper in 1879,15 countless articles have been published about the origin of this language.

Some believe this problem will never be solved.

There are very unusual features in this language. The serial numbers of Yamato-kotoba

end at ten (J. to), and most Japanese do not realize that they are counting in Chinese. About

the Japanese roots, Jared Diamond says, "The real problem is that the Japanese themselves

may not want to know."n Several known facts are available, and when put together, yield a

solution to this problem.

CD Two Japanese history books, the Kojiki (712 AD)I,3 and Nihongi (720 AD),2,4 reveal

that the same language was spoken in Korea and Japan. (2) Of eight vowels, three disappeared

from the language of Japan during the short Nara period (710-784 AD),4o signifying the birth

of a new language, Japanese. ® Japanese had 87 syllables in this period35 and currently has

more than 300; in Korean, initial syllables alone reach 2,000. @ The distance between these

languages is calculated to be 7,000-10,000 years.17 This magnitude of separation occurs with

an almost total change of lexicon. ® An identical grammar remains. 15,16 ® Koreans and

Japanese have the same genes.7 It can be deduced that Korean speakers created the Japanese

language.

All the theories and various endeavours seeking the origin of the Japanese language may

be summed up as "Much Ado About Nothing," because at the very beginning of the Kojiki,

Yasumaro (-723 AD) disclosed that it is a manufactured language (cf. Chapter V). This was

almost 1,300 years ago; which obviates the need for any theory. He also showed how indi­

vidual words were created.

His story begins with the first line of the Kojiki, and throughout both history books

includes several hundred "how to say" notations. No one mentions these notations, and

furthermore, they were erased or dismantled from all Japanese translations of the Kojiki,

originally written in Chinese. It is taboo to mention these notations, because Yasumaro was

telling about the secret of the Japanese language.

The Japanese establishment has been conspicuously silent about Yasumaro. His epitaph

discovered in 1979, shows that his contemporaries in Japan were Korean speakers.9

It will be shown how individual words were created. This study examines about 3,200

Yamato-kotoba.

3

[ I ]. The language of early Japan.

A). The Period from King Ojin to King Tenchi.

In the eighth century, within eight years of each other, the two official history books of

Japan, the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters. 712 AD)!,3 and the Nihongi (Chronicles of

Japan. 720 AD),2,4 were published in Chinese. For such an endeavour, there must have been a

purpose beyond the formal cataloging of innumerable events and matching chronologies.

Upon arrival in Japan from the Korean kingdom ofPaekche, in 404 and 405 AD

respectively, Ajiki and Professor Wang-in became the teachers of King Ojin's heir apparent,

the future Nintoku, 3,4 the 16th king of Japan. The two teachers of ShOtoku Daishi, the heir to

King Suiko, were also Korean (593,595 AD).4 These records, in the Kojiki and the Nihongi,

show that they spoke the same language in Korea and Japan.

King Ojin gave Takechi County, the seat of the Yamato Court, to people from seventeen

Paekche counties. The king would not have invited a large population group, whose language

was foreign to him, t6 settle in the politically most sensitive region. Their descendants,

according to the 772 AD chronicle of the Shoku-Nihongi (797 AD), were found to make up

80~90% of the population of this county.s The large Korean migration explains the popu­

lation growth of Japan from 300 BC to 700 AD. The explosive increase of the population

during this 1,000 year period cannot be explained by the annual growth rate of the popula­

tion. It was due to immigrants from East' Asia via the Korean Peninsula.6 DNA studies have

confirmed that these migrants were Korean.7 By far the single largest group of these people,

who founded the Yamato Court, were from Paekche.8

Korea was unified for the first time by Silla which defeated the two rival kingdoms,

Paekche in 660 AD and Koguryeo in 668 AD, causing a massive exodus from Korea to Japan.

In these wars, the Tang sided with Silla, and Japan with Paekche. After the war, the Tang

troops did not withdraw, attempting to control the area they occupied. Wide-spread clashes

with Silla ensued; the people of the former Koguryeo and Paekche joined Silla to rid Korea of

the Tang troops. Silla, with its tradition of cultural sophistication dating back to 57 BC,

proved its military prowess and diplomatic savvy, becoming a power to be reckoned with.

King Tenchi (626~671 AD), to accommodate the anticipated influx of refugee officials

from Korea, expanded his government by increasing the official grades from 19 to 26. More

than 62 of these refugees received royal appointments to important positions comparable to

their former ranks in Korea. The third highest ranking among them, K wisil Chipsa, became

minister of education (671 AD).4 These records leave no doubt that a common language was

4

shared in Korea and Japan; but, it is not known what happened to the language of Japan after

the Nihongi was published in 720 AD, about 1300 years ago.

B). King Temmu and Yasumaro.

King Temmu (~686 AD), who lived among the Koreans in Takechi County, commanded

Yasumaro (~723 AD) to write a long and glorious history of Japan. In order to compose a

history in which the divine ancestors of the Japanese came from the Plain of High Heaven,3,4

a new language was necessary to hide their Korean past. It was against Yasumaro's will to

fabricate a national history, the greatest sin for any scholar to commit. His loyalty was to the

truth, not to an ephemeral king. Yasumaro, a military man and the top scholar in the country,

had his own agenda which was to tell the truth, and needed a second book, the Nihongi, to

facilitate his surreptitious mission. Temmu's untimely death in 686 AD gave Yasumaro a free

hand. Since Temmu' s initial order in 681 AD, it took 31 years to write the Kojiki (3 volumes.

197 pp. in modern print) and only eight years later, the much larger Nihongi (30 volumes) was

completed. Yasumaro was working on both the new language and the Nihongi while writing

the Kojiki. He executed his clandestine scheme by weaving the secret of the new language

into both the history books and the new language.

The third oldest history book of Japan, the Shoku-Nihongi (797 AD),5 erased the names

of the oldest history book of Japan, the Kojiki, and its author from Japanese history as if they

had never existed. This reveals the deep-rooted fear of Yasumaro, which continues today.

C). Yasumaro' tomb.

The Japanese press reported the accidental discoveryofYasumaro's grave on January 24,

1979. This ranked as one of the "Three Great Post-War Finds" of Japanese archeology and

prehistory along with the Takamatsuzuka murals and the Inariyama tumulus sword inscrip­

tion.9 This "Herodotus of Japan, the compiler of the Kojiki and the Nihongi," belonged to the

mysterious Ta(~) family of the Ta clan Shinto shrine in the central Nara basin. 10 aba (*~)

states that tombs with murals in Japan all coincide with when and where this clan lived. 10

Above all, the tomb with his epitaph proved that he physically existed.

In the Nihongi, the commander who played a crucial role in the war enabling Temmu to

start a new dynasty, was recorded as a-no-omi Homuji (~g:;:db¥€1) by his son, a-no

Yasumaro (:t:*~1g). Yasumaro's family name was changed from ~ to -:::t. Kobayashi

(!J\#~-T) notes that names of historic Japanese persons are often changed, and includes the

example of the famous statesman Fujiwara-no Kamatari (614~669 AD) who had a Paekche

5

name, Su Jeog Sa (t!1Io'F), which is "the very top class secret of the Nihongi."ll Ordinary

people also changed their names.

Murayama and Miller pointed out that Yasumaro's epitaph has a "linguistic Koreanism,"

stating, "It will be interesting to see how long the reading public is kept in the dark concerning

this startling Koreanism." 9 There was a news-blackout about the fact that they spoke Korean

in Japan. The epitaph is as follows:

~*~~~~~~&T~E~~~~~~ffl~~*~~A~B$~

(723 AD).

The two Chinese characters $~ hold the key. The intransitive verb $(died) has ~(this, a

grammatical particle) as its direct object. Such use of ~ would be grammatically incorrect

for Chinese, but is well documented in early Korean epigraphic specimens from the sixth

through the mid-eighth centuries. Murayama and Miller credited Ogawa Tamaki and Saegusa

Toshikatsu with substantiating the ungrammatical nature of the Chinese text and the identi­

fication of this Koreanism.9 This example oflinguistic Koreanism is not an isolated one (cf.

V-A). They spoke Korean in the period of the Nihongi, and this tells that the origin of the

Japanese language cannot go back more than 1,300 years.

D). The relationship between ancient Korea and Japan.

To quote well known historical highlights:

1). The records of Ajiki (~PJ@:~. 404 AD) and Professor Wang-in (.=:E t. 405 AD) from

Paekche entered into both the Kojiki and the Nihongi. On arrival in Japan, they became

teachers of the future King Nintoku. This was not far removed from the so called Age of

the Gods and less than 300 years before King Tenchi. King Ojin spoke Korean.

2). Men learned in medicine, divination and the calendar came from Paekche (B~) to the

Yamato court replacing those who were returning home. The Yamato court requested

books of devination, calendars and various drugs. 14th year of Kimmei (553 AD).

3). Another example of rotation from Paekche (B~): a Confucian scholar of the five

classics, several Buddhist priests, a man learned in divination, a man learned in the

calendar, a physician, two herbalists and four musicians were all exchanged according to

their requests. 15th year of Kimmei.

4). The king built his palace at Ohwi in Kudara (B~). 1 st year ofBidatsu (572 AD).

5). The king, for the second time, sent an emissary to Paekche (B~) to invite Illa (B m)

to Japan to work for him. 12th year of Bidatsu.

6

6). The teacher of Soga-no-Umako, the de facto ruler of Japan, was a Korean named

Hyepyeon from Koguryeo. 13th year ofBidatsu.

The Soga family was from Paekche CEfthf).8, 11,12,13,14

7). Two teachers of Prince Shotoku: Koryo priest Hye-ja* and Professor Hak-ka, were

Korean. 1st and 3rd years ofSuiko (593,595 AD).

8). Hye-chong came from Paekche, preached Buddhism with Hye-ja.* 3rd year ofSuiko.

9). By the order of the king, a great palace and a great temple were built on the banks of the

Kudara river CEfthf) II): the palace CEfthf'§) on the west bank, the temple CEfthf*~) on

the east.

10). The king moved to the palace of Kudara CEfthf).

11 th year of Jomei (639 AD).

12th year of Jomei.

11). The king died in the palace of Kudara (Efthf), and was temporarily interred north of the

palace. This was called the great temporary tomb of Kudara (Efthf). 13th year of Jomei.

12). The Japanese government increased the number of its official grades from 19 to 26.

3rd year of Tenchi (664 AD).

13). Tenchi examined the official ranks ofPaekche (Efthf). 4th year of Tenchi.

14). More than 62 refugees from Paekche (Efthf) received royal appointment to important

posts; the third highest ranking among them, Kwisil Chipsa (*~~M) became minister

of education. 10th year of Tenchi (671 AD).

These appointments were possible as the languages of Korea and Japan were identical.

King Tenchi spoke Korean.

15). Queen Jito, the last queen of the Nihongi, the daughter of King Tenchi and wife of King

Temmu, spoke Korean. It should be noted that the scholars who left these records(1 ~ 15)

in the history books, showed that people in Korea and Japan spoke the same language

during the period ofthe Nihongi.

These history books were the last available vehicles of which Yasumaro took advantage,

leaving a long, continuous series of messages telling how the Japanese language was

manufactured by Korean speakers. However, these books do not say when the new

language replaced Korean, because they were still speaking Korean in 697 AD, at the end

ofthe period of the Nihongi. The Manyoshu (759 AD) is in Korean, since the poets of

this book belonged to the period of the Nihongi. cf. V-C-12.

Yasumaro worked on the Kojiki and Nihongi long before the people learned the new

language. cf. XIX-A.

7

[ II ]. Theories on the origin of the Japanese language.

A). An identical grammar in Korean and Japanese.

The word order in any sentence is identical in Korean and Japanese, but due to differing

individual words, Koreans and Japanese cannot communicate.15,16 To find out how close the

Korean and Japanese languages should be, one can look at the English and German languages

which broke away from each other 2,000 years ago.17

With a separation ofless than 1,300 years, Korean and Japanese should be far closer than

English and German; in reality the opposite is true. The glotto-chronological calculations

(Morris Swadesh), comparing 200 basic words, measure the separation between Korean and

Japanese languages to be 7,000 to 10,000 years. 17 The Korean and Japanese words in Table 1

make the measurement of the distance between these two groups of words very plausible.

Table 1. English father mother sun moon star fire water German Vater Mutter Sonne Mond Stern Feuer Wasser Korean abeoji eomeoni ha: dal byeol bul mul

Japanese chichi haha hi tsuki hoshi hi mlZU

Also, the range of7,000 to 10,000 years coincide with what Cavalli-Sforza writes: a

separation of five to ten thousand years can drop the rate of recognizably similar words to ten

per cent or less. 18

The genetic tree is almost fully resolved while the linguistic tree is much less resolved.

Even without a comprehensive linguistic tree, the genetic tree can be compared to the existing

linguistic tree. The high similarity of the linguistic and genetic trees is more than should be

expected by chance.18,19 However, this does not apply to Korean and Japanese. There is an

enormous difference, up to 10,000 years in the vocabularies, while the grammar is identical.

In a natural setting, it has been said that grammar is more resistant to change than voca­

bulary.18 Japanese presents an extreme example of this. The scholars changed almost the

entire vocabulary without altering the grammar. The new language, unintelligible to Korean

speakers, had to be easy enough for the entire population of Japan to learn. For this purpose, a

new vocabulary, different from Korean, would be sufficient. Even a minimal change in the

grammar would have made the new language more difficult to learn.

Some adhere to the 10,000 year theory, in spite of historical evidence showing that the

distance between these two languages should be less than 1,300 years. 17 Many others believe

that a word-spirit (J. kotodama) resides in each kana and word of Yamato-kotoba and that

because of these spirits, the origin of the Japanese language will never be found.

8

On the other hand, there are those who maintain that fewer than 1,300 years of history is

incompatible with 7,000 to 10,000 years and continue to dismiss the possibility that the actual

distance between Korean words and Yamato-kotoba could be 10,000 years?O

Up to 10,000 years of separation taking place between Korean words and Yamato-kotoba

in less than 1,300 years is an extraordinary magnitude of change. It was not gradual and incre

-mental as in a natural progression, but was sudden and total. This amount of change could

only be reached by creating an almost entirely new lexicon, making it pointless to attempt to

establish a genetic relationship by matching the words of the two languages.

W. G. Aston states (1879): The positioning of words in a sentence is identical in Korean

and Japanese, suggesting a close affinity. However, without common numerals, the two

languages cannot be classed together. 15 In other words, these two languages are, at the same

time, both very close yet farapart. These contradictory results of Aston's study demonstrate

the oddity of the differences between the languages. The main finding has been the enormous

difference in the vocabularies of the two languages with identical grammars.

Opinions abound about the origin of the Japl:lnese language. A partial list of the origins

of the Japanese language, mainly from Hong21 and Shibatani's22 summaries follows: Ural­

Altaic, Proto-Altaic, Altaic, Proto-Korean-Japanese, Proto-Puyeo, Proto-Puyeo-Koguryeo­

Paekche, Proto Three-Han Silla, Paekche; Korean, Turkic, Austro-Asiatic, Lepcha, Tibeto­

Burmese, Malayo-Polynesian, Indo-European, Dravidian, Basque, Persian, Sumerian,

Austronesian substratum, Altaic superstratum, Austronesian-Altaic hybrid, Greek,17 English,23

and the word-spirit.24

The disarray characterizing this field of study was described by Roy A. Miller: "In Japan,

one can scarcely pick up a daily newspaper or weekly magazine without finding some article

announcing the discovery that the Japanese language is genetically related to this or that

language, generally some language as remote as is the probability that it has anything to do

with Japanese.,,25

B). Patterns of thought and speech.

It has been said that the same language was spoken in both Korea and Japan during the

period of the Nihongi. There is evidence of this in the deeper layer of the languages, even

though they broke away from each other. The above studies, utilizing comparative linguistics

and glotto-chronological calculations, did not examine the languages from this perspective.

Korean and Japanese show a similar patterns of thought processes and speach.

9

§. Patterns of thought. These two languages show a similar thinking process.

1. The word order is identical. If the individual words in a sentence are exchanged, Korean

becomes Japanese and vice versa. 16 This is the closeness mentioned by Aston;15 only the

individual words are different.

2. Both Korean and Japanese have an expression in which two nominative suffixes are used

in one short sentence. "Her brain is good." becomes:

"She lli, the brain lli good." in Korean and Japanese.

a). Korean: J 1-1 ~ (She is), ~ '2l zl(the brain is) ~ q(good).

b). Japanese: :fBt:tz:'i!(She is), 5Jb6l'(the brain is) J: I,,-~(good).

3. In Korean and Japanese, when two verbs are together, the second one functions as an

auxiliary verb. The second verbs are underlined in Korean and Japanese phrases.

a). The equivalent of the verb "to exist."

J..l ~l q. lL-::J --C 1,,-. G. It is standing.

b). The equivalents of the verb "to give."

'5~ ~ d,- (d,-~). L -r --? G « iL). I do it for you (Do it for me).

c). The equivalent of the verb "to see."

I will do.

d). The equivalent ofthe verb "to come" and "to go."

!?l~ ~q(~kq). ~'?--C*t.: (:fT'?t.:). He came (went) running.

4. a). Both nun (K) and me (J) mean: CD eyes, CZ) buds, ® weight-scale markings.

Korean nun and Japanese me meaning eye have identical second and third meanings.

The chance of this being coincidental is remote, suggesting that the Korean nun

(eye) was used in the 7th century Japan.

b). Both sal (K) andya (J) mean: CD arrow, CZ) spoke of wheel.

c). Both geod (K) and mono (J) mean: CD thing, CZ) guy (fellow).

5. Interjections. Jeo(K) and Ano(J) are two of the most frequently used interjections, this

hesitation sound is issued without meaning as "Umm ... " in English. Interestingly, both

words mean "that."

6. Many idiomatic expressions are the same.

a). to make the eyes angular (angry glare).

b). not painful even if you put it into your eye (to love someone dearly).

c). eye poison (something you want to have whenever you see it).

10

d). the distance between eyes and nose (very short distance).

e). nose hole (nostrils). f). nose water. g). nose song.

h). to crush the nose (to put to shame).

i). to hang on the nose (to brag).

j). mouth habit (saying the same thing often).

k). to fit one's mouth (to like to eat a particular food).

1). to smear the mouth with glue (barely survive with very little food).

m). Mouth is heavy. n). Mouth is light.

0). neck of hand (wrist). p). neck of foot (ankle).

The Korean and Japanese words, meaning wrist and ankle, have to be compound words

including the word meaning neck.

q). to grip sweat in your hands (apprehensive exCitement).

r).like flipping the palm of your hand (quick change of attitude).

s). to put bellies together (to conspire).

t). The belly is large (audacious).

u). bright red lie.

§. Habit of speech. Many short Korean words, including the very often used suffixes, are

retained in Japanese.

7. Certain endings of sentences are the same: ta(da), ga(ka)?, yo.

Table 2.

A (to do) I did. Did you? I did. hretta(K). shita(J). hrennunga? shitaka? hresseoyo. shitayo.

B (to be) It is so. Is it so? It is so. gureotta. soda. gureonga? soka? gurreyo. sodayo.

A and B represent the English verbs, to do and to be. These words cover the entire

English language.

8. The nominative suffix -ga (7}, ;6~') is common to both Korean (t-Rzl:, 1.ol1zl:, -=z.zl:) and

Japanese (f.l, ;6\ ~. ;6\ 1.ff ;6{).

9. The positional suffix -e is common to both Korean (1f-~6j1, Al71~ and Japanese

(~Ll1 ~, It of -=:'.::.:::0. This particular ~ is pronounced e ~.

10. Suffix, -yeo(K. Oi) and -yo(J. J:) express wistful emotion.

You, my love. A}"'cfi>}~ -=z. ~~. ~T G ;gL.

11. Korean ung( g ) and Japanese un( J Iv) mean yes between similar age groups.

11

12. "Eoi"(K) and "Oi"(J) are used mainly by males in both languages to call someone

equal or below them socialy.

13. "Ya" (in both). Calling attention to, or expressing surprise.

14. "Ja" (in both). Used in the same way.

a). Let's drink. ;z}, p}~ "'1 q(K). t~, (J) hi L J -J (J).

b). I am going. ;z}, ~1-l q(K). t ~, vp ~ i -9 (J).

15. swii(K. 41): shii(J. ~ 1 ). a child's word for urine.

16. The same sound is repeated in orderto make a word.

a). palpal(K): paripari(J)-crisp, top-notch.

b). joljol(K): chorochoro(J)-in trickles.

c). bulbul(K): buruburu(J)-shivering.

d). sulsul(K): surusuru(J)-smoothly; solving problems, untying knots etc.

e). juljul(K): zuruzuru(J)-drag, trail.

f). teobeokteobeok (K): tobotobo(J)-ploddingly.

The one who made this word knew fI:@(=1!E?V).

* Examples of word repetition are from Korean words.

17. Two Korean homonyms became identical Japanese homonyms.

eo(g)-+o.

gama(K): kama(J)-kettle(~) and kiln(~). The Japanese kama sounds like the Korean

gama as kana has no aspirated consonants, ph, th, ch, kh. Gama went from Korea to

Japan with kettle(~) and kiln(~). The seventh century Korean word gama has not

changed since. They have an important homonym, kama(J. sickle).

_(sickle): gyeom(KR)-+kama(J. iJ '"7).

18. Certain Korean and Japanese words are very similar.

a). ddaemune(K): dameni(3t J -=- )-because.

b). guraedo(K): keredo( 7- v F)-but, however.

c). goul(K): kori(:J ?t I) )-county.

d). gori(K): kori(:J I)), kori(:J rJ I) )-wicker trunk.

e). durumi(K): tsuruCJ }v)-crane.

f). nugddae(K): nukute( 5\ ":/ T )-wolf.

g). ggachi(K): kachi-karasu( iJ 1- iJ '7 7Z. )-magpie.

12

karasu(J): crow.

h). deodeog(K): totoki( ~ ~ ::\- )-a variety of bonnet bellflower.

i). dabal(K): taba( ~ /"')-bundle. ~tabaneru(to bundle).

j). ggureomi(K): kurumi( ~ )v 2 )-pack.

k). nambi(K): nabe(T""'-)-pan.

~~o.

1). durumagi(K)~tsurumaki( ''J )v'7::\-). overcoat. du(K)~tsu( ''J).

m). nab(K)~nama~namari(T'7 ~). lead. m. b<--tm.

n). ggug(K)~gutto(~" 'J l). adverb. gulping down (holding back) tears.

0). ssug(K)~sukkutO(A 'J ~ l). adverb. abruptly. ]1[.

p). dag(-namu)(K)'~taku(~ ~). papermulberry(tt).~. *namu(K. tree).

~takununo(c1oth made from mulberry fibers). ~Jf'fJ.

q). nup(K)~numa(;Z '7). swamp, marsh. ¥tj. p<--tm.

cf. nuur: Mongolian for lake. nuur(M. lake )~nup(K. lake )~numa(J).

r). muri(K)~mure(.L. v). group, crowd. ~. i<--te.

s). nal-gangdo(K): nal(K. day)~hiru(J) 5.m~(robber)~gangdo(KR)~gand6.

hirugand6( l::. )v if:/ F rj). day robber. .5.m~.

19. Short Korean words were incorporated into a large number of individual Yamato-kotoba.

cf. VI, IX, X, XI.

13

[ III ]. Kana in Chinese characters (iJ I).

Since kana were made from Chinese characters, it is natural that kana contained in CC

were used as building blocks in making Yamato-kotoba (pure Japanese word). The simplest

method of word-making is the one which derives all kana from the CC for the new word. Thus,

the "kana in the Chinese character only" is also the most restrictive rule.

Japanese does not have l(el), re(like £!: in c£!:t) or the schwa(g), and kana lacks final conso­

nants except -n( /'). Hence: J~r; re~a, e, ai, ae; schwa( g=eo )~a, i, u, e, o. The final conso­

nant of Korean is dropped or acquires a vowel. Schwa( g) sounds like eo in Seoul or ~ in qui~t.

Other important changes: the ha(F') and wa(l7)-column kana~l:1/7)-column kana, ha---twa,

The voicing dots O~1ffEf) and moraic consonants, /' and ''/, did not exist, but are used

here. When the KR and JR are the same, only the KR is given. The best CC candidate for this

purpose should contain many kana. For example, the 3-stroke 32.. has component CC (J , x.., j, -:Z, :9,x.) and eight katakana (J, ;;, ?<, 7,7, ;/, A, 5<).

A). First group (iJ I).

32.. (3 X)---t / ;; ~ 7 ? ;I ,'7.,. '5<.

Words made with kana from CC, related to 32.., :9 and Y.., further curtailing the above

rule are chosen. If available, a commonly used CC for the new word is shown at the

end of the example.

1. ~Bl(wheatbran): &~Y..~7;z, 7. 7;z, 7(fusuma). ~lt 3f7.

2.1~(coverlet): &~X~7 A 7. 7;z, 7 (fusuma). ~.

The above two words became homonyms because of their shared & (skin). The steps of

procedure to arrive at the two homonyms are; beginning by selecting CC containing &

out of many thousands of CC and choosing Y.. ---t 7 ;z, 7 from many possibie choices.

These homonyms demonstrate that the same technique of word-making was employed.

3. t~(wrestling): ;fr---t32.. ~x.~;z, 7 7 * ---t ;z, 7 rJ.* A -'t: rJ (sumo). ;t§~.

*The hae")-column kana often changes into the £!:(7)-column kana.

Y..~A 77: three same kana as in Y..~ 7 A 7 (fusuma).

4. ~(sky, heaven): ~i:~ ~ ~ 7 32.. ~Y..---t7 ;/. 77(ama), 7 ;/ (ame). ~. a+-+e.

* Kana 7 (£!:) was made from the radical ~ of ~PJ (£!:).

14

5. llJ!(peak): )z. ~.?< -$~:\-. 3<':\- (taki)~ 3<' 7" (take). big mountain. -ffi, lk. l+-+e.

6. a). qJ( cover): ~~)z. ~ X ~ 7 )z. ~ 3<'. 7 3<' (futa). lid. iI.

b). qJ(to cover): ~~)z. ~ X ~ 7 )z. ~ /'. 7 /' (fuku). to thatch. if.

7. a). ~(to aid): )z. ~ 3<' A /' (tasuku). JW.

b). ~(to save): )z.~A /' 7(sukufu)~A /' rJ(sukuu). $(.

8. a). ~(to lower): )z. ~ /' 3<' A (kutasu)~ /' 3<'" A (kudasu). T.

b). ~(to descend): )z.~/' 3<' 4~IL~Jv. /' 3<'''Jv(kudaru). T,~.

c). ~(to fall): )z.~X~7 4~IL~Jv. 7 Jv(furu).

9. ~(again): ~~)z.~X~'? )z.~3<'. '? 3<'(mata). X, ii,?#.

1 o. ~(to build a fire): ~~)z. ~ 3<' /' (taku). ~.

11. {~(to excel): X ~ A )z. ~ /' )L ~ v Jv. A /"'Jv(suguru), A /'" v Jv(sugureru). {~.

'* Kana re(v) was made from the L part of tL(JR. rei). JL has v and Jv in it.

12.~7JL(soaked):{~~X~;Z DL~)L~vJv. ;Z vJ"V(nureru). to get wet. r~.

13. :J;t,((to extract): 1§.. ~ X~;Z )z. ~ /'. ;Z /' (nuku).

14. O.f(warmth): )z. ~;Z /' '? ,cJ\~ JL~Jv. ;Z /' '? Jv(nukumaru). to get warm. ?l~L

15. ~(to sew): ~~)z.~X~;Z 7. ;Z rJ(nuu).

16. 'l&.(to sip): Jjz~X~A 7. A rJ(suu).

17. ~(to tie): :k~.b I&~X~A 7 . .b A 7"(musubu). *'=6.

18. a). gj(defense): X~'? 7 -t+ ~ I). '?7" I) (maburi). ~,gj.

b). gj(defense): X~'? ~~::E~.:c -t+ ~ I). '?.:c I) (mamori). ~,gj.

19. ~(bean): zl9(~x.~,?;J. '?;J (marne). -'lI.

20. ~(to love): )z.~X~A )z.~ /'. A/' (suku). to like. ~A :\-(suki). H.

21. ¥~(to die): ¥~~~ X~;Z. ~;Z (shinu). ~.

22. ~(to surpass): ~~~ )L~) )z.~/'. ~) /,"(shinogu). {~.

23. ~(to sip): ~~XX~A A ~~)L~Jv. A A Jv(susuru). ~.

24. #J~(window): )z~X~'? R-~--'-~ ~. '? F(mado). ~.

25. Jj(to kill): iiJj(~ P ~::J 0 X ~ A. ::J 0 A (korosu). ~.

26. ~(to finish): ~~)z.~X~A *~:k~.b. A .b(sumu). m.

15

27. ~~~(corner): Y..---?A Jt"---?=---? ::.. A::' (sumi). ~.

28. ~(flatfish): B3 ---? B ---? 1:: &. ---? '7 ;J. 1:: '7 ;J (hirame). flounder. zp. § .

29. M(totan): pq---?A---?T ~---?y"---?;J A. T;J A (namesu). ~.

30. a). if"U(article): !:>' ---? /))< U ---? I). /))<" I) (kudari). itt:.

b). if"U(sort): !Y---?)< /) -WU---?-1. )< /)"-1 (tagui). ~,.l:t.

c). if"U(said): !Y ---? /) )< -WU---? 1 ---? J. /) )<" '/ J (kudanno). itt:.

d). -WU(example): !Y---?)< if"U---? U =7J---?do(KR) if"U---?-1. )< ~ -1 (tatoi).

In this method, kana comes from the CC for the word under construction. The only expla

-nation for the plethora of words from such restricted material is that the scholars resorted to

the demonstrated technique for each new word above. This attests to the legitimacy of the

technique, and leads to the conclusion that there must be an alternative route to bypass the

strict rule, "kana in the CC only," and gain access to more kana to create thousands of new

words. As an example, consider that the last four words (30-a~d) were made from the same

CC, even though the last one tatoi(1f"U) was made by reading U (= JJ) as do in Korean reading,

a break from the strict rule.

There are more than 60,000 CC, though the largest commercially available dictionaries

have about 20,000. Yamato-kotoba were made from the huge pool ofCC, and it is a statistical

improbability for the kana found in CC to coincide, in meaning by chance, with both Japanese

and the Cc.

B). Second group (t.J I).

1. -$(7th meaning. barley)30: b..---?L 4---?0i-. L :o¥'(mugi). ~.

2. 52.(to see): § ---?-(3)---?::' JL---?}v. ::. }v(miru).

* The infinitive "to" will be omitted below.

3. §,(color): -1 P (iro).

4. T7.K(ditch): T ---? ~ 7.K(left)---? 7 .. F 7''(dobu). M.

Syno. ~(drain): ~ =7.K(water)---?mizu(J) tf---? 'J. ::. 'J"(mizo). M.

5. ~(leaf): *---?/'\---?~(ha). Homo. i1(=iL tooth): *---?*---?/'\---?/'(ha).

6. ~(body): § ---?=(3)---? ::. (mi).

Homo .• (fruit)(---? .&) and ~(winnow)(---?A): § ---?-(3)---? ::. (mi).

7. ~(all): :::E---?_---?::. T---?T. ::. T(mina). ~.

16

8. 5f:(riceplant): T-+1 +-+T. 1 T(ina)-+1 ;f.(ine). f@.

9 I£I( . tu )."0 x *X() ~ • Il!'!! pIC re . ..J---+ . _ e. lml.

10. ffl(handle): ~_I-+x. *X(e).

11. 7f3(shape): *-++-+T I) (nari). %, .1w'.

12.m has several meanings: {PI (what), J;-, 'Ji., A, m, ;g~, 1~.

m(what)-*7--T - (nani). {PJ(what).

13. ~(river conch): ~-+::K-*7-- - T(nina).

14.1C(throat): J1(lst stroke)_/ 1C----'---+ ~. / F(nodo). ~.

15. ~(coverlet): A,-+7 1x-+---'--- ~. 7 ~ -+7 ~ :/(futon). i!1U1.

16. :J;~(target): :¥:-T-+'7 ---'--- ~. '7~ (rnato). i¥J.

17. ~(sincerity): ~-+T- '7 P _:::1 ---'---+ ~. '7:::1 ~ (makoto). MIG.

18. {j1-J5JT(here): jl" _=1--+:::1 ffl- P _:::1. :::1:::1 (koko). rl:U~, rI:~J5JT.

19. mCcurtain): ~_---'---+ ~ ~_/" 1). ~ /" I) (tobari). ~.

20. a.l~(mud): -*-2:1-+ ~ o. F 0 (doro). ?}t,.

a~e.

b.l~: '1 =7J<.(water)-mizu(J) 2:1- ~ o. - ~ F 0 (midoro).~. This suffix means

"covered with." ase(sweat)midoro, chi(blood)midoro.

21. ?}t,(mud): lb- l:::',- c ?}t,-:/. c:/ (hiji).

22. }}t,(mud): F-+ P -+:::1 lb-+ l:::',- C ?}t,-+:/. :::1 t :/ (kohiji).

23. Jfm(dance): ffi-'7-+ 7. '7 r; (mau). •. '7_7.

24. ~(leam)-T: '7_7 T-+-T. '7T7"(rnanabu). '7_7.

25. ~(rare): ~(left)-'7 V (mare). fffi.

26. **(select): r:r-x *-+77. x 7 7"(erabu). ~.

27. fIj(quiver): **-r:r-x r~- B - c *-+7. x 1::' 7 (ebira).

28. ~(axe): ::K-7Z-+ =; ~-+ /. =; / -+:;;f" / (ono). Jf.

29 . .JL(hole): :::f-T -+ 7 :::f-+-T. 7 T(ana).

30. *#(rope): T-++-T *-/j\-/". T r; (nawa). *~.

31. /t(still more): T :;;f"(nao). f.5],3-®.

32. J¥t(2nd meaning. to become): /t-Jc-+T Jv(naru). JJlt.

33. *i(book): *-+*(left)-7 $-=-+ ~. 7 ~ (furni). X.

17

34. :fIr(boat): :f-t-7 T(funa)-7 ;f (fune).

35. flc(salary): ~_*-_7 /R-T-1-. * 7 1-(fuchi). jj(fif.

36. ~(hem, edge): * - 7 ~(left)-T-1-. * 7 1-(fuchi). ~.

3 7. ~(doubt): ~-< Jt - ~ tx.-*-- 7. < F rJ (madou). ~.

38. W!( drive off): *-L _/" :t:(lt)- 7 7. -''' 7 rJ (harau).

39.llt(dislike): ~-*-:\- *(It)-7 7. :\-7 rJ(kirau).

40. ij!(shin): ~-*-*_J""\_/" *-:\-. -''' :3f'(hagi). ~.

41. *ffi~(silk): *ffi-EB-:\- i~-9:'-x-~. :\- ~ Ckinu). *1'3.

42. IXGoyful): ~-r- '3 p P _ 0 :::1 !yz _7. '3 0 :::1 7"(yorokobu). :g.

43. B (sun): B - ~(hi). * Hi( t) also means fire(j() in Japanese.

44. /m(spacious): B - t ~3-~ -1 o. t 0 ~(hiroshi), t 0 -1 (hiroi). 1J:.

45. a~(leisure): B - t X-<. t <Chima).

46. ~(millet): 83- B - t 83-.I.. t .I.(hie).

47. fiW,(gill): 83-.I. j!,=~~7C(left)-7 . .I. 7 (era).

48. !I!;(shrimp): J§- B ([D)_.I. t . .I. c'(ebi). ~, W~.

49. tttCworld): ttt-",§"Cyo). tit. ttt=tit.

50. M(calendar): B _:::1 '3 '3 _=_ 2.. :::1'3 2. (koyomi).

1B' /'(r,:;: "" In 1:*J.

51. ~(regular, tidy): JR- B - '3 0 t. '3 0 -1 (yoroi). set. A.

Homo. yoroi: suit of armor.

52. ~(regular): *-sog(KR) p_o IE-=(2)-i(KR). 'J 0 -1 (soroi). set. tru.

53. t1i(transverse): Ji-83- '3 :::1 (yoko).

54. !Ji(pupil): 83- B - t ~ § - __ 2.. t ~ 2. (hitomi).

55. F'(gate, door): B -Jjto). door. P.

56. !i!i(although): ~--1 r_.I. T- ~ r--'E:. -1.I. F-'E:(iedomo).

57. $(night watch): B - ~ 1 - / -1. ~ / -1 (tonoi). mw:. 58. ~(together): B - ~ x;_-'E: =-..:::.. ~.:t: ..:::.(tomoni). ~.

59. :§:(smell): B -=-..:::. /R-*-;;f" T~-1 . ..:::.;t -1 (nioi). :§:.

60. ?r(voice): B ([0)_:::1 .I.(koe).

18

a+-+e.

62. ~(die, fall): 7j!-?< 7 JE-JL- v Jv. ?< 7 v Jv_?< :t" V Jv(taoreru). iltl.

63.1#(abreast): #-ft-7 7f-JT-:7 7. 7:7 7"(narabu). line up . .slE.

64. ~R(sidelong look): Ei -':=':7 § -=- 2. . .:=.:7 2. (nirami). §~.

65. i=I~(needle): 4:-/\-/" ~f- I). ~(hari). it.

66. MF( calf): ~f(left)-:J 7 :7 - :J 7":7 (kobura)-:J A :7 (komura).

67. ~(leek, chive): ~f(rt and It)- - :7 (nira).

68.lMs(ghost): *-*-:t" =-.:=.. :;t - (oni). *(goblin).

69. t!l\i(cage, pen): *-:t" lill- I). ~(ori).

70. n(quiver): ~_±_..::z.. -++-_::\" . ..::z.. ;3f'(yugi).

71. t$(bride, wife): 3_ 3 !x _ J. 3 J (yome). P1*.

72. 31(wormwood): $-:3:.:- 3 .:t: $_::\". 3.:t: ;3f'(yomogi).

73. m(clear): 'flf-::E-::\":3 m-:/. ::r 3 :/(kiyoshi)-::\" 31 (kiyoi).

74 .• (chick): 1:t-:3:.:-±-c ~-!:J-l-7. C 7(hina).

75. m(door): ~f(rt)- ~ C ~f(low It)-:7. ~ \::':7 (tobira).

76. il(chisel): 4:- / § -=- 2.. / 2. (nomi). ~.

77. ~(lot): ~f(rt and It)-c :J. c :J"(higo). thin bamboo strip.

78. ~t(give): -#i-L._/"-/ I.J_:J ffi!.-~(cursive)-A. /:J A (nokosu). leave. ~.

79. t\(hold): :¥=-+- ~ J"L-n-Jv. ~ Jv(toru). take. trx, ~\. 80. PJL( curse): JL- / I.J - P JC- 7. / P 1) (norou).

8l. ~(f1ute): ~(lower half)-·. ti.._7..I... 7..I..(fue). m. 82 .• (avoid): ffi-:3:.:- 3 IT-7" J!-JL-Jv. 37" Jv(yokeru). ~.

83. ;;;~'ii](blessing): ~-$- 3 I.J _:J ~ _--'-_ ~. 3 :J" ~ (yogoto).

84. ¥(stalk): <<<- < -++--::\". <::\"- /j ::r(kuki).

85. ~m(black): «<- < ffi- p. < P - /j P (kuro). ~.

86. ~(dive): -®«-«- < < JL-Jv. < < Jv_/j /j"Jv(kuguru). M.

87. ijl(year-end): «<- < m(low It)- v. < v_* /j v (kure). If.

88. Bt(get dark): ~- /j JL- v JV. /j v Jv(kureru)-* /j v (kure). If.

89. Bt(night): B_3 ~-JL~Jv. 3 Jv(yoru). ~.

19

90. f3':(degree): /f:-;f\ ~-+- ~. ;f\ F (hodo).

91. P5G(coquet): %-SCrt and It)_::J 1:::. JL-)v. ::J c' )v(kobiru). mi.

92. ilt( chick): tt-:=E - 1:::. '3 ::J (hiyoko). t~.

93. ~x(drink): 1t- / ~- t¥-L. / L(nomu).

94. '11t(desire): Jl-1t- / ::F- '/ - ~. / ')" ~ (nozomi). ~.

95. ~Ij(tonsure): ~(first two strokes)- '/ Ij ---t I). ~(sori).

96. tl(fierce)30: EB-:=E--t: +---t J' ~t---tJL---t)v. -t: ~ )v(motoru).30 return. 5!:, '1*.39

97. *(ride): /f:(first stroke)---t / ~t---t JL-)v. / )v(noru). -* L2(nori).

98. *JII(law): )11(firststroke)---t/ JII-I). *L2(nori). {.t.;.

99. Ja~(laver): Ja-W:(first stroke)---t / ~---t -++ ---t I). * L2(nori).

C). Third group (7J f).

l.¥(hemp):J---tT-++-Y. TY(asa). M.

2. ~(candy): Ill---t ~ -T ~---t 3< ---t J. T J (arne). i€}.

3. fSfBJ(god of five grains): /f:---tT---t-1 T fBJ--++ - I). -1 T I) (Inari).

4. ~Ej3(fish scale): ~--1 Ej3---tEB---tP---7D::J. -1 D ::J(iroko). ~.

5. *(thing): 3_::J *---t+_ ~ . ~(koto).

6. W:( every): £.1:- D _::J £.1:---7 ~ . - ::J" ~ (goto). suffix.

7. Z*(especially): *_*_I---t::J *---t+---t ~ =---t~. ::J J' "='(kotoni).

8. ".tCripe): D _::J fL-T fL-JL---t v )v. ::J T v)v(konareru). digest.

9. {jt(this): j3"_3_::J {jt---t1---t). ::J / (kana). LH:.

10. j}j)(that): ~ -T j}j)---tj:---t /. T / (ano). 1.Bl. cf. II-B-5.

11. ~rtl(eunuch): EB---tP---t::J :=E---t-t: *-A---t/. ::J -t: /(komono).

12.1~(punish): :=E_I_::J {}_)v. ::J )v(koru)-::J I) )v(koriru).

learn a bitter lesson. 1~.

13. MtCtumble): @]-I=J D _::J D ~(low left)---t 7. ::J D 7"(korobu) .•.

14. ,p~(bottom): 'i'(2_3rd strokes)- '/ D _::J. ,/::J (soko). !.ft.

15. ~(escape): j~->(- '/ JL-)v. '/ )v(soru), '/ v )v(soreru). ~.

16. *(dangling): 4P- 3< :;tR(low It)- v. 3< v (tare). - 3< v)v(tareru). '!fr.

20

17. ~(lettuce): 7C~1- --1+ ~-tt. 1- -tt(chisa). ~§.

18 .• (tail): *~*~;;t. leo). ffi.

19. t.w(conduit pipe): ffl~EB~--t~ ~ B ~ C. ~(toi).

20. ~(cross): ~~±~:::J x )L~Jv. :::J x Jv(koeru). go over. ~,

21.1~(fight): r'~::E~--t~ ~ ~~--I+~:\-. *L:t(toki). warcry. 00, 8~, is\VJl.

22. $,i@(crested ibis): ~~4~--t~ ~ 4~:\-. * ~ :\-(toki). $,i@.

23. ~(always): ffi~rtJ~--t~ ~ D~:::J. ~(toko).

24. ~(adjust): Jl:~~li:.~ ~ :Jx.~--'-- ~ :Jx.- / 7. ~ ~ / rJ (totonou). regulated. ~.

25. mCcall): a. EB~::E~--t- ~ T 51(-*-7. ~ T rJ(tonau).

b. EB~::E~ ~ TX EB-fB-IL-Jv. * ~ TXJv(tonaeru).

26. §'I'§(recite): EB~::E~ ~ TX EB-fB~IL~Jv. * ~ TXJv(tonaeru). p~.

27. ~(where): B ~ ~ :::J. F:::J (doko). {P}~.

28. ~(what): B ~ ~ {zg-L- v. F v (dore). which. {PT.

29. ~(what): B ~ ~ "J- /. F / (dono). {P}.

~: why, what, where, why not, how.

30. bW'{palace): ~~--t- ~ /"- /. lLCtono). one's master. bW'.

31. m(rich): ~~+~ ~ ~ ~.§!_L. ~ L(tomu). &.

32. m (extinguish): t~30_Wf30_:\- Wf-:t-XJv. :\- X Jv(kieru). m. 33 .• (company): ~~3:- ~ -=t:. ~ -=t:(tomo). friend. 1ff..

34. fi(snare): m~3:---t- ~ ~(low)~'7 Y.~7. ~ '7 rJ(torau). catch.

35. fi(catch):m~--t~ ~ ~-'7 m-3:-x m-!£-IL-Jv. ~ '7 X Jv(toraeru).

36, t~(kite): ~-+~ ~ I~- B - c. ~ c'(tobi). ~.

37. #(bowl): *---t- ~ ++-7 I). F"/ 7" I) (donburi).

38. ~(relish): if~T. -rena).

39. m(tumor): EB~ D _:::J ]]_7. :::J 7"(kobu).

40.IJ)(throw): i)~*-T ~(upper It)-7 IZ:9-Jv. T ")'Jv(nageru). 1£'.

41.IJ)(throw): ~~/~_/" ~-3f-7 IZ:9-Jv. /" 7 Jv_1t rJ Jv(houru). 1iZ, tJill.

42. f®(Japanese oak): ~-~-3f(left side)-T '7. -r '7 (nara).

21

43. ~(et cetra): ~---+T---+T ~. T F(nado).

44. ~Uob): ::F:---+~---+T---+T ~(first 2 strokes)---+ I). T I) (nari).

45. tfi(accustomed): ff7:---+T---+T ,[, =IL}---+ JL---+ V JV. TV Jv(nareru).

46. *~(unitof1arge volume): F1---+A---+T "*---+/j\---+/'. T '7 (nawa).

47. ±(soil): =---+.:::.. * - (ni).

48. n(red): n(upper part)---+.:::.. * - (ni).

49. ~(gift, offer): ¥---+±---+=---+.:::. I---+x. * - x (nie). ~,Itt.

50. ;W:(boil): ±---+=---+.:::. I---+x. * - X(nie). ---+niyu, nieru.

51. Ji(similar): tfj---+~---+±---+=---+.:::. ~---+ '3 ~---+:f-t---+ I) . .:::. '3 I) (niyori). 1bL1W.

52. M(frizzle): ~---+=---+.:::. IZB---+Jv. * - Jv(niru). cook. ;W:.

53. ~(ripen): ~f(rt)---+=---+.:::. M(last 2 strokes)---+ JL---+Jv. * - Jv(niru). ~.

54. :fWj(elm): M=H~---+~---+ B ---+=---+.:::. ~(low It)---+ v. - v (nire). ;jf«.

55. ~(state): JIt---+ )L---+ / JL= A(lower half)---+/' JIt---+ 7. / /-{ '/ (nobau). ~.

56. ~(state): JL---+ / ---+hetsu(JR) JL---+Jv. / ~Jv(noberu). ~.

57. !I!I(flea): ~---+-'J---+ / 1IIl---+ § ---+=---+ 2.. / 2. (nomi). ~.

58. ~(twist): ~---+ '3 ~(low It)---+ I). ~(yori). ---+ '3 Jv(yoru). ~,~.

59. ~(common): /,---+ / tt---+ I). * ~(nori). joint. ~IRJ, ~i§.

60.1$(stretch): 1---+ / $---+$---+ I). * ~(nori).

61. ~(tell): 3t---+ ;\.---+ / 5[,---+ JV. / Jv(noru). 'j§', 15, ifr5L. ---+* ~(nori).

62. fsi(deer): 1" ---+ / ~---+ B ---+ 1=1 ---+ 'O. / '0 (noro). noru(K)=deer.

63. Ji(wing): ~---+/'. ~(ha). ~.

64. fU(peel): >1<---+/' fU(upper It)---+ -'7. /' -'7"(hagu).

65. ~ft(change): Ij\---+/' 1;;(---+7 ft---+JL---+Jv. /-{7 Jv(bakeru). transform. ft.

66.MI(box):J!t---+Jt---+/, 1=1---+::1. /'::1(hako). ~.

67. M;;(pigeon): I~---+)\\\---+/' B ---+ ~ . ~(hato).

68. ;!sZ(branch): *---+* :3z: ---+x. * x (hoe).

69.BJfI(sunset): B---+c m---+3---+-'7 5'B---+L---+v. c -'7"v(higure). B~.

70. ~(water chestnut): ±---+c ~---+~. c.~(hishi). ~.

22

71. :f¥(unlined clothes): ¥- B - t= ~ * =:tx:=.z (X). t= ~ X (hitoe). -]i, ¥:tx:.

72. ~(bird's stomach): =r:--'E IJ\- / /'. __ :::.. -'E / /'. :::. (monohami). ~,~1t.

73. jjI$ffi(sanctuary fence): B - t= =r:--'E 0 - 0 tt-~.

* t= -'E 0 :3f'(himorogi)- t= *' 0 :3f'(hiborogi). m+-+b.

74. Jm(boiled meat, sacrificial meat): B - t= =r:--'E 0 - 0 7\((tree)-ki(J).

* t= -'E 0 :3f'(himorogi). JfI=.

75. ~(waste-straw): ~-P-1 ~-x.-;;Z. kuzu(1 A} rubbish. M.

76. f3R(shawl): *-±- t= *(low It)- v. * t= v(hire). ~rtJ, m rtJ.

77. ~(fin):~-I::::- t= I::::-L- v. * t= v (hire).

78. fi~(gill): I~,-EB- B - t= IL.,'-L- v. * t= v(hire). cf. era(fi~).

79 .• (pick up): ht-l:t-I::::- t= ht_lIIl_ 0 *_*_7. t= 0 r] (hirou). f€.r.

80. ~(swellfish): ~_~_=*=_7 ~-1. 71"(fugu). M~.

81. ~1(skate):3o EB-=r:-=-:::. 0_::1 ~-1. :::. ::1"1 (migoi)?O S~?9

82. ~(fly): 7I--T- ~ ft-7. ~ 7"(tobu).

83. it(carrier's basket): =*=_7 EB- 0 _::1. * 7 ::1"(fugo). cf. ishimi(it).

84. t§(shovel): *-7 0 _::1. * 7 ::1"(fugo).

85. )=1 (sheet): )=1(upper half)- t= )=1(lower half)-7. * t= 7 (hira). )=1, tt.

86. i!(herring): EB- B - t= Ii -7. * t= 7 (hira). if S~.

87. ~(earofrice, barley etc.): 7f:-*. * (ho). f,!.

88. Y(fork): x.-? Y( -)<. ?)< (mata). crotch. 3<., H~, !l%.

89. 5t:(history): 3t - 7 B - t= ~. 7 t=. ~ (fuhito). scribe.

90. #(well): #-4-1 ft-T- ~. 1 F(ido). #P.

91. WJJ(imperialdecree): *-$-=-:::' 0_::1 T- ~ )]_/ 9='_1).

:::. ::1 ~ / I) (mikotonori). gtj, wh.

92. :!1rM(appearance): § - § -_-:::. M-ft-T I). :::. T I) (minari).

93. ,~(search): =r:--'E s- ~ x.-/ I~-§E-IL-)l.". -'E ~ / }v(motomeru). )j(.

94. ~(night): B - :3. ~(yo). night. -&..

95. ~(night): 1!f- B _:3 = (2)-i(KR). *:3 1 (yoi). ,evening. W.

23

96.1.R(good): a~ B ~ '3 1.R~1. * '31 (yoi). a. 97. fI(contaminate): :'F~::f.~ '3 :J 1'9-. )L~ v JV. '3 :J" V Jv(yogoreru). (FJ.

98. ~(scallion): ;:Jlc:(lt)~ '7 3~ J -++--.::1(- ;:Jf(lt)~ '37. '7 '/' ::1(- '3 rJ (rak:kyo).

99. )=t;(based on): Jt;~:::f:~::f.~ '3 n-. )L~Jv. '3 Jv(yoru). IZ§, {;t(o

*Several names of birds, fish and plants differ in meaning from the original cc.

*Many words, made of kana( t; I) in CC, are under other headings.

24

[ IV]. Readings of Cc.

A). The scholars in the chronicles of Queen JUo.

The professors who assisted Yasumaro in making a new language were introduced in the

last chronicles of the Nihongi, Queen Jito's. They could not make a new language by conti­

nuing to use the Korean reading (KR) of CC, because approximately 70% of the Korean

words are Chinese loan-words, although most are not used in daily life and are pronounced

with a uniquely Korean pronunciation.

In 691 AD, ten years after Temmu had ordered the writing of the Kojiki, Hsti Shou­

yen(ti "'f § ) and Sa Hung-lw(illi 5l '11§-) of the Great Tang, the pronunciation professors, and

Malsa Seonsin(*:J:::~{§) ofPaekche, the writing professor, each received gifts of20 rio of

silver. The following year, the two Chinese scholars also received four cho of rice field each,

the size of an estate given to a Minister ofthe Right (;6 * ~).2,4 Chinese prisoners of war

who were captured on the Korean Peninsula when the Tang was fighting with Silla against

Paekche, appear in the chronicles of Saimei and Tenchi although only Hsti Shou-yen is

of Jito. The official history of Japan records the names ofthese two scholars repeatedly, an

honor reserved for the founding fathers of the nation. The Nihongi does not explain what

merited their inclusion in the book; but as "professors ofpronunciation,"they contributed to

the establishment of the Japanese reading (JR) of Chinese characters (eC) from the Korean

reading (KR). They were tied to the land of Japan for the rest of their lives.

There is an unusual name, A~ti±iJJJ.b:~tJ:::H:±a~: j~~(university) tiJ-.(pro­

fessor) iJJJ.b::f:(official rank) J:::H:±(upper village chief) a~(Paekche), who twice received

gifts, at the approximate time of the three scholars mentioned above. This name shows no

personal identity other than he was an officially ranked Korean professor from Paekche (a~).

He appears again in the 704 AD chronicle of the Shoku-Nihongi, with a new rank (iftli {:s'lJ-.)

and a surname, Ato-no muraji (~PJ )] ~). Probably, this Confucian scholar assisted Yasumaro

in both the new language and the history. At the end of the Nihongi, Yasumaro did not forget

the scholars who helped him; he let the academic titles of scholars to tell of their contribution.

B). Comparison of different readings of Cc.

Out of the first ten Chinese numerals, the =(2. two) is most dissimilar in Korean and

Japanese readings. The Korean reading is i whereas the Japanese readings are ni andji (zi).

25

The combination of Japanese ni,ji and Mandarin er are seen in a limited number ofCC. The

ancient Chinese reading was nzi; and the Korean reading i is nzi minus nz. Koreans dropped

TIZ as their language does not have this sound, and also to be apart from Chinese.

Table 3. CC AC Korean Japanese Cantonese Mandarin

1 - nZl 1 - nl, Zl yih er

2 ffj] nZl I nl, Zl yih er

3 It nZl ! n1, Zl yih er

4 % nZle a, ye nl, Zl yih er

The professors could not put the nz back into Japanese because they were speaking

Korean in Japan. Instead, nz was split into n- and Z-, keeping the vowel of nzi, thus producing

assisted with the innovation of the Japanese reading ofCC. We are indebted to them for the

illustration of how Korean reading was created for certain Cc. Although the Japanese reading

of =(two) became ni and zi, we still see a great amount of Korean reading i (=.2) entering

into Yamato-kotoba.

Thanks to Karlgren,26 we know the Mandarin er did not exist before the Yuan dynasty

(1279 -1368 AD). The Mongols who founded this dynasty abolished nzi. The reason for this

was the same as for Korean. Both Korean and Mongolian belong to the Altaic language group

which does not have the nz sound. They changed nzi into er. There is no nzi sound in modern

Chinese, although a vestige of this can be found in Japanese reading of cc.

There cannot be a Japanese language without the Japanese reading of cc. The innova­

tion of the Japanese reading should be attributed to Hsu Shou-yen and Sa Hung-ko. This was

first hinted at by the extraordinary treatment of these two scholars by the Japanese govern­

ment, and the reverence shown to them by the compiler ofthe Nihongi.

The Japanese reading (JR) of CC was not the accumulated product of students returning

from China. Not only the installation but also the minor changes in the reading are attribut­

able to the ruling authorities of the country.

In Table 4 below, simple characters -, -/::.;, /\, 6, z= were selected. Only the Korean

reading has the final-I. Koreans not only blocked the final-t of ancient Chinese from entering

into KR of CC, but replaced it with the Korean final-l. 28 The final-l is the signature consonant

of Korean. Karlgren makes it very clear that historically the Chinese language never had the

final_1. 26 The Korean final-l becomes tsi (chi) or tsu in Japanese. IS In a medium-size diction-

26

nary, published in Korea, with about 10,800 CC, 728 CC have the final-l ofKR, which all

changed to lsi (1-) or tsu ('/') in Japanese reading.29

Cantonese did not undergo as much change as northern Chinese (Mandarin), and

preserved the final-t of ancient Chinese. What is important, is the fact that Koreans use the

final-t in their own language.

Table 4. CC Ancient C· KR JR Cantonese Mandarin - iet il ichi yat yl

-t tsiet chil shichi chat chi

J""\ pwat pal hachi pat pa

Z iet ul otsu yuht yl

z= kigt ggi kitsu hat ki

* AC: Karlgren's ancient Chinese.

The professors disliked the unfamiliar final-l in KR, and abolished it in Japan, not allowing it

to enter into the new language, changing it to lsi or tsu.

AC final-t-Korean final-I-Japanese lsi or tsu is an unbreakable rule, and shows that

JR of CC was made from KR. The background story of the above arrangement by the

Chinese scholars lies in the fact that Koreans, as they did with the final-t, also stopped the ts­

sound from entering into the Korean reading of CC. Koreans use ts- sound in their own

language. The final-t entered into KR ofCC just once: Koreans read ~P(seal) as in or ggill(~,

meaning the end). The second reading gg!l1 has nothing to do with Chinese reading.

Koreans have protected their language since the earliest days when they formulated the

Korean reading ofCC. The two Chinese professors, about 1,300 years ago, undid what the

Koreans achieved many centuries before, and they introduced the ts- sound into the Japanese

reading of cc.

There is a self-explanatory and indelible proof of "KR-JR." The JR of ~ (beautiful) is

bi and :IT*;(military) is bu. There are examples, where ~ is read as mi and :IT*; as mu, e.g.,

~1rl(Mino), ~{%I§€J(Miho-no seki), W$:IT*;(Jimmu), :IT*;?:!~(Muretsu), "X:IT*;(Temmu), :IT*;JiG

(Musashi), etc. In making these old proper nouns, the KR of ~(mi) and :IT*;(mu) were used.

The permanently recorded evidence of this is the hiragana, dj.(mi) and cU(mu), the cursive

forms of ~(dj.) and :IT*;(cU). When these hiragana were created by Malsa Sean sin, they were

read as mi(~) and mu(:IT*;) in KR, showing the "m-b" formula used to make JR from KR:

iE:(mother. mo-bo), ,~(horse. ma-ba), ffi(tail. mi-bi), ri;(l0,000. man-ban), etc.

27

§. The chi (''7-) and tsu ('Y): chi (1-)=tsi (1-).

The ta (5Z) column of kana is incomplete since it does not have ti and tu. These are

substituted with tsi (1-) and tsu ('/') which were mentioned above. Tsi (1-) and tsu ('Y) are

the most versatile kana with specially designated functional freedom, of which the two

Chinese scholars' design is most likely.

Tsi (1-) and tsu ('Y) replace many Korean dental and lingual sounds except the na­

column. Korean vowels are automatically made into the -i or -u oftsi and tsu. The tsi (1-)

and tsu ('/') were interchanged freely in making words. This simple manipulation brought a

great deal of change to the language.

Examples of chi (1-) and tsu ('/):

1. 5m 1J (muscle power): 5m---l-tt ---l-illg(KR)---l-chiku(JR)

1J---l- 7J(sword)---l-kal(K)---l-kara. chikara('± iJ '7). strength. 1J.

2. 5I(near): L ---l-chag(KR)---l-chaku( 1- -\> 5') mi---l-T---l-@n(KR) =(2)---l-i(KR).

cf. KR viill be omitted from gan(KR. -=f).

3. :R(long): .illng(KR)---l-*ch6('±:3 rJ )(JR).

4. !I\\\€(burterfly): k9.b(KR)---l-*ch6( 1- :3 rJ )(JR). a loan-word from the Chinese.

5. ~(different). ffi---l-:::£---l-±(soil)---l-tsuchi('/, 1-)(J) 8 (day)---l-ka(J) ~(low It)

---l- 7 (fu). chigau( 1- iJ" rJ). ~. tsu('Y)~chi(1-).

6. ~(pair): ft---l-chu(KR) ft---l- -1 (D. chui---l-tsui(,/' -1). Jf.

7. !t(assembly): ft---l-chu(KR) ft---l-:::£---l-T---l- r (to) ft---l--1 (D. tsudoiQ F -1).

8. f9[1(wrap): ,:R---l-chung(KR) r:p---l-illng(KR) ;E---l-.L-(mu). tsutsumu(,/' '/' .L-). {g.

9. R~(azalea): ,:R---l-chung(KR) r:p---l-illng(KR) l1::---l-ji(KR). tsutsuii(,/' '/' ~). ~R~.

10. :se:(official): 9=r---l-illng(KR) T---l-gan se.---l-sa(KR). tsukasaQiJ -IT). §,:R.

11. ~(use): r:p---l-illng(KR) T---l-@nse.---l-3t---l-7(fu). tsukauQiJ rJ). {~.

12. durumi(K. crane): *tsuru('/' Jv). t~.

13. jul(K. string): *tsuruQJv). ~!.

* ±(soil)---l-tsuchi(J)---l-tsu('/) or chiC 1-). tsu('/')~chi(1-).

14. $(sheep): ±---l- l:. ±(soil)---l-tsuchi(J). *hitsuji( l:. '/' ~).

15. ~it(wild rice): 8 ---l- l:. ffi---l-±(soil)---l-tsuchi(J). *hitsuji( l:. '/' ~).

28

16. ~(disease): ±(soil)~tsuchi(J) =P~~n. tsutsugaC/ '/ ;If) .. chiC 1- )+-+tsu( '/).

17. :j:~(knead): ±(soil)~tsuchi(J) IJ ~gu(KR) :J:1E~netsu(JR)

:j:~~[B~IL~Jv. tsukuneruQ;7 ;fJv).

18. *,~(finch): ±(soil)~tsuchi(J) lJ~gu(KR) EEl~'£~-~ 2. . tsugumiC/ ;7" 2.). thrush.

19. jEj(horn): EEl~±(soil)~tsuchi(J) jEj~ / . tsunoQ /).

20. ~(ferry): ~~*~±(soil)~tsuchi(J). tsu(2). ferry, port.

21. Ui(shut one's mouth): '£~±(soil)~tsuchi(J) :i:~gum(KR). tsugumuQ;7"L), ~.

22. fl(patch): $~±(soil)~tsuchi(J) r:p~lling(KR) m:~ru(KR). tsuzuruQ;(Jv), ~.

23. fl(patch): m:~*~±(soil)~tsuchi(J) r:p~lling(KR) * =~(low It)~ v .

tsuzureC/ A v). patched clothes. ~.

24, [!!( case): EEl ~ B ~ l:: EEl ~ ±(soil)~tsuchi(J). hitsu( l:: '/). MI.

25, ME(spotted): X ~bun(JR) ±(soil)~tsuchi(J). buchi(7"±)' ME, EZ.

The feat of putting these two kana together as tsuchiC/ 1-), meaning soil(±), should

be appreciated. The territory oftsuchi(±) can be the entire dictionnary ofCC. This

means the supply of chi(tsi) and tsu is almost limitless. ±~tsu('/). ±~chi(1-).

§. The final-l of Korean.

The Chinese government protested when Koreans made too many characters of their

own. Among the ce, one special group should be mentioned because it tell~ how the Koreans

used the characters to express their final-I. The following characters have Z as the last stroke.

They are all pronounced as final-I. z:;~~~£~!!~~~~~~~ etc. The Z in these

characters are very similar in shape and function to '2 in the hangul, the Korean alphabet.

In Korean classics, Z should be regarded as idu (i£:Ut V-C-12) until proven other­

wise.28 In the geography section of the Samguk sagi (Historical Records of Three Kingdoms),

there are 18 place names with Z. Two other names are not included.

Samguk sagi by Kim Bu-sik et ai, 1145 AD.32

26. ® There is Chu-ul(*Z) in the north-eastern Korea: although it means red(*) bird(Z)

in Chinese, this was the name of a mountain, now called Gwanmo-bong (2,171 m). They

thought this was the tallest mountain in Koguryeo, and called it Chu-ul(* Z) in honor

of their first king, Chu-mong(*~), the supreme archer. Chu(*) has straight ( J ) and

arrow (*) in it, imparting the meaning of a straight arrow. VI is an Altaic word for

29

mountain, shared by Mongolians and Koreans.

In Korean, VI means mountain, peak, and fence. Chu-ul(*Z) means Chu-Mong's

mountain, which remained as the town name even after the name of the mountain was

changed. The fountainhead of the pristine Chu-ul(*Z) river is found in this mountain.

Every autumn, there was an age-old ritual festivity of the townspeople to share beef after

a sacrificial offering to the spirits of their river and mountain. This took place on the

bank of the river which flows from their revered mountain. The name Chu-ul(*Z) tells

its people that it is the holiest place in Koguryeo. It has nothing to do with a red bird.

® Nae-ul(~Z) was probably pronounced Nai. ~ is read na in ~ti(narak). In the same

geography section, JtH(gul) was also written as 1tLZ(gul) showing Z was read as a final-I.

This makes ~Z-Nai. There is a possibility that Nara(~.B!.) came from Nal(~Z)

where the first king of Silla was born. Popularly, it is said that Nara may be from the

Korean word nara meaning country.

Nara(~.B!.) and Asuka(~,~) are close. The first character of Asuka(~,~) is ~(to fly).

The Korean word for this happens to be nal( -da) and its homonym nal(K) means day( B).

The bird(,~) is "sre" in Korean, and this has a homonym meaning "new."

Asuka(~,~) is also written SJI B ::§:(Asuka) which includes tomorrow(sJI B), new day.

Young-hee Lee C*$~) read "flying bird(~,~)" as tomorrow(~ B). Idu was used to

make the most beautiful names of the cities, Nara and Asuka. cf. VIII-B-19.

© The Mongolian word gill (river) is in both Korean and Japanese. There are many

rivers (gol) in Mongolia, especially in the north. The name of river (gol) was the address

for the nomadic people. Koreans moved farther east and south to Manchuria and the

Korean Peninsula using the same word gol for their address. This word eventually turned

into the Korean word goul (county), and was taken to Japan, where it became kori.

gol(M. river)-goul(K. county)-kori(J. county).

Rightly so, many claimed that idu protected the Korean language. But, the protection of

the language started when the Koreans installed the unique Korean reading of the cc. This

was long before idu was invented.

There is only one kana for the Japanese final consonant, -n( /'). Mandarin has three: -n,

-ng and -er. The Korean language has numerous final consonants, although they are limited to

seven for the reading of CC: g, n, 1, m, b, ng, and t. The final -t is used only once to read ~p

30

(official seal) as ggu!( if. K. the end).

With the AC final-t~Korean final-I, Koreans secured their territory of the Korean sound

in the realm ofCC. To move away from the KR ofCC, the professors from the great Tang

had to dismantle the Korean final-l and introduced the ts- sound, which was rejected by

Koreans. They replaced the final-l with tsi (1-) and tsu ('1), killing two birds with one stone.

C). Vowel change. limited examples.

Table 5. AC* Korean Japanese Cantonese Mandarin

t;R. SI SI si chi shl, shi, shih

r tsi ja si Jl dz, tzu, tzu, tSl,zi [l9 si sa si sei sz,ssu,szU,Si,Sl

B zi sa si jih si,szu,sl

± dzi sa si sih shi,shih,shi * AC: Karlgren's ancient Chinese.

In the various readings of t;R.(arrow), the vowel is uniformly i, but there are numerous

other examples where they are not uniform at all. For the other CC in the same table, the

vowei change in Korean: i~a. Japanese: a~i returning to the AC voweL For more exampies

of KR~JR, refer to others' works.27,3o This small example shows only the Korean vowel is a.

This. is why Chinese and Japanese pronounce 51:: (history) as si while Koreans pronounce it sa.

The last column of the above table shows the tendency of the Mandarin sound under­

going i~u transition. It is noteworthy that in the reading of r(son) and [l9(four), the final

vowels are dropped.33 This may have been ongoing for a long time, in northern China.

a. [l9~ szshu b. [l9:1J szrang c. [l9{.g: szbei d. ~[l9 disz.

It is very helpful that Karlgren categorized the pronunciation of Chinese according to

three major periods of Chinese history. But, this does not mean that Chinese was spoken

everywhere in the uniform way he described, because the Chinese language, throughout

history, has never been unified.

D). Korean 'h~Japanese k.

1). T, {OJ, {PI, Jl, 1m: ha (KR)~ka (JR).

2). ~t {~, ~.&:, *, M: han (KR)~kan (JR).

3). roX:, -@;", M~, ~~, oJ9\(: ham* (KR)~kan (JR). * Kana has no final-m.

Since Aston reported that the Korean h becomes the Japanese k,15 this has been very well

documented in others' writings. However, no one has emphasized that this is only appli­

cable in the reading ofCC, and not between Korean words and Yamato-kotoba, proving

31

that the "Korean h~Japanese k" is not a law of sound change, but a fonnula that the pro­

fessors used to make Japanese reading from the Korean reading of cc. There is a rare example ofh(K)~k(J):

4). heong-keureo(jida)~kongara(garu)(::1 :/ if '7 ifJv). to get entangled.

Ancient Koreans used the formulae, h~g and g~h, to make the Korean reading from

many Chinese readings. The professors left the Korean g untouched while they changed

the Korean h into k in Japanese. Since kana has no aspirated consonants, the Japanese k

sounds more like the Korean g.

E). Korean g~Japanese h.

There are numerous examples of h(KR)~k(JR), while the examples of g(KR)~h(JR) are so

rare that only mm(gongon~honhon) was found in a dictionary, published 300 years ago by

the Korean government. 34

Although the examples of g(KR)~h(JR) are very rare, some Japanese words were made

using g(KR)~h(J).

1). :Jt(to dig): golCKR)~gom~hom(;1; Jv). 1Jm.

2). 1l&(to hanker): 1§(gQg)IG\(§im)X(~m)(KR)~gosiga IG\~JV(ru).

gosigaru~hoshigaru(;1; ~ h"JV).

3). ~(saw): 4:~ / (no) r:!:l ~ lJ ~::1 (ko) 4:~gim(KR) ~C=f F)~ I) (Ii).

nokogiri~nohogiri( / ;1; ~' I)). nokogiri~noko(~).

4). j'(_(bracken): ~~gweol(KR)~gal~gara 1J!&~bi(JR). ~rabi(i£'7 c')~

harabie" '7 c')~warabicz. '7 CO). w:}~a. g~h~w.

F). The b-sound in ancient Japanese.35

The existence of the b-sound in ancient Japanese has been questioned for a long time. This

happened because there was no haC {)-column when kana was first introduced, and it had to

wait until the voicing dots came about much later. This problem can be solved simply by

showing that they differentiated between the h- and b- sounds.

Aston showed certain sources of the Japanese h.15

§. p, b (KR)~h (JR).

1). m, ml, ¥JK, ~, '§:: 12a (KR)~ha (JR).

2). lX, *, Jlliii:, m, ~: .\2an (KR)~han (JR).

In D) above, each Korean h became a Japanese k. In 2) above, the Korean .\2 became the

32

Japanese g, but the Korean Q did not become a Japanese k. There was no crossover.

More examples: a). P: ho(KR)~ko(JR). b). f*: bo(KR)~ho(JR).

This shows that there was a b- sound in the Japanese language even before the ba(F')­

column kana with their voicing dots appeared.

If they had known that the Korean words beginning with b-: bul(fire), bal(foot), bam(chest­

nut), etc. are incorporated into many Japanese words, the question of a b- sound in ancient

Japanese would not have arisen. cf. IX.

There are many Chinese characters that Koreans read in two different ways, beginning with

g- and h-. Ex. *, iii, 1¥ (go, ho); .EE:;, tJE, 1m (gon, hon). Similar examples are either

extremely rare or do not exist in Chinese and Japanese reading. The unique Korean reading

of CC protected the Korean language.

When the Korean penn insula was unified by Silla, defeating the other contending kingdoms

of Paekche and Koguryeo, Yamato Japan which was closely related to Paekche decided to

have its own language to be completely independent from Korea. Japanese reading of CC

vv'as the prerequisite for manufacrJring the nevI language.

G). The historical kana spelling of JR.

This was discontinued in 1946, and only a very small aspect is shown here. This way of

spelling shows that they used KR of Chinese characters. There are many CC currently read

as to ( r rJ). Many were previously spelled as tau (1< rJ) or tafu (1< 7). These are called

the historical kana spellings of JR and are difficult to learn because they are different from

the spoken language.

Table 6. CC KR Historical spelling of JR Current JR

~ dang tau 1<rJ to r rJ R: dang tau 1<rJ to r rJ ~ dab -b tafu 1<7 -7 to r rJ ~ dab -b tafu 1<7 -7 to r rJ IT !mng kau 7;rJ ko -::1rJ

E¥ !mb -b kafu 7;7 -7 ko -::1rJ I( nang nau -1-rJ no /rJ

*~ nab -b nafu -1-7 -7 no /rJ

The current JR of these CC (~, ~, ~, ~) are all to ( r rJ). The historical kana spelling is

tau (1< rJ) for the first two, and tafu (1< 7) for the rest. In these, to ( r ) used to be ta( 1<);

and some u( rJ ) used to be fu( 7) in kana spelling. The difficulty arises because there are no

33

references to help remember these changes without knowing the KR of these CC.

The t.1!( -3l), k.1!( iJ), n.1!( T) came from Korean d.1!, g.1!, n.1!. The -ng endings of KR: dang( ~),

dang(}t), gang(tc), nang(R) became u(rJ) in JR. The final-b in KR: dalL(~), dalL(~),

galLe EJ3), nalL(*m became fu( 7) in the old kana spelling of JR.

* The above was based on a lecture by Prof. Nam Kwang-u (m~;fit"), in 1947.

H). Korean reading of CC---?(Japanese reading of CC)---?Japanese word.

1. ~(enemy): dyeog(KR. old)---?teki( T ~). yeo(K)---?e(J).

2. ,~(station): yeog(KR)---?eki(.I.. ~).

3. *(curtain): mag(KR)---?maku(? 1).

4. {-t(100 million): eog(KR)---?oku(;;f 1).

5. t~(virtue): deog(KR)---?toku( ~ 1).

6 .• (poison): dog(KR)---?doku( F 1).

7. ~~(special): tug(KR)---?toku( ~ 1).

8. J;\;( ceremony): sig(KR)---?shiki( ~ ~).

9. ~lUaw): ag(KR)---?ago(7 ::1}

10. Jr!i!i'(seat): seog(KR)---?seki( k ~).

11. ~ (flesh): nyug(KR. old)---?niku(-=- 1).

12. ~(land): ryug(KR)---?riku( I) 1).

13. rMl(burn): yag(KR)---?yaku(-V 1). ~.

yeo(K)---?e(J).

eo(K)---?o(J).

eo(K)---?o(J).

u(K)---?o(J).

eo(K)---?e(J).

yu(K)---?i(J).

yu(K)---?i(J).

14. '!;m(ecstasy): hol(KR)---?horeru(it v lV). take a fancy to. tYc, '!;m.

15. m(dry up): gal(KR)---?karu( iJ lv)---?kareru( iJ v lv). 7~, ffi.

16. 'a(net): am(KR)---?ami(7 ~). m. 17. iII~(peak): min(KR)-+mine( ~ *). U1!.

18. _(chew): gam(KR)-+kamu(iJ k). ntl,~.

19. ~(turtle): gam(KR)---?kame( iJ ;l). a.

20 .• (hoe): IDY.1!g(KR)---?gwa(gt)---?kuwa(17). i-fix. .---?kaku(JR).

The JR of.(kaku) cannot produce kuwa( 17) because it does not have -wa to become

-uwa. Like many other words to follow in this book, the final consonant of the KR

(IDY.1!g) was dropped.

34

Of the 20 words above, the first eight are also loan-words in Korean.

In the above examples, the first 19 words retain the final consonants of the Korean reading

by acquiring a vowel; this comes from how kana (syllabary) were designed, unlike the

alphabet, without freely movable and independent consonants.

The final consonants of Korean reading in Japanese words mean:

a). They used Korean reading of CC.

b). They say about 70% of Korean words are loan words from Chinese, meaning a similar

percentage of words used in Japan were the same as in Korean.

c). In two languages, if the word order in a sentence and a large portion ofthe vocabulary

were the same, these two languages were the same.

d). There was no Japanese language prior to the installation of the Japanese reading of Cc.

* Some believe that the rules governing the changes from Korean to Japanese reading of

CC are laws of sound change. 15,27 This can be readily disproved as they are not appli­

cable to Korean words and Yamato-kotoba.

* Although Sino-Korean words and Chinese are written identically, their pronun­

citations are very different because of the distinct KR ofCC.

* Most of the academic words in Korean are loan words from Chinese, which are not

used by ordinary people.

* The use of CC in Korea is severely restricted, and Korean novelists are not using

them in their books since the early 20th century.

35

[ v ]. "How to say" notations, and others.

A). How to say notations.

Throughout the Kojiki and the Nihongi, there are hundreds of "how to say" notations

teaching the pronunciation of elementary Japanese words. In smaller print, their format is

distinct and their mere presence notable; yet no one has reported on them. They show

unequivocally that there was no Japanese language before the Kojiki.

The first 29 Chinese characters of the Kojiki holds the essence of Yasumaro's work.

xj:tM}]~Za~, ~r'i'DX~g\(;)jI$i5, xz1i§Ot:p±)jI$.·wJ[~ T3(3;l\iiJa. T~r!:t.l

The translation of the first 19 CC is as follows: The name of the Diety that was born in the

Plain of High Heaven, when the Heaven and Earth began, was the Master Diety of the August

Center of Heaven. All the translations excluded the ten small CC, and moved up two other

gods from below. They decided to omit these ten characters to hide the most damaging secret

of Japanese history, the manufacture of the Japanese language. They represent the first "how

to say" notation, which instructs that, from now on, x(sky, heaven) should be called ama (flPJ

M). Ama ( IWJ M), is the first recorded Japanese word.

The last three characters Cf~J:Jl:I::), though seemingly innocuous, complete the spirit of

Yasumaro's caveat. "Below (f) follow (~J:) this (Jl:I::)" means "This is to be followed below."

A subtle but punctilious time frame of linguistic staging is set with three CC. There are 307

"say phonetically (t.)' 1f)" notations, much more prevalent than the 43 "instruction says

(IDI/:D;)." "This is to be followed below (T~J:Jl:I::)" is attached to these two notations, mostly in

the beginning of the Kojiki, and tapers off after sufficient repetitions. These three characters

are laconic, yet masterfully delineate a new historical time period. This is a deliberately

placed, decisive evidence documenting that a new language is being manufactured. The

translations ofthe Kojiki do not show even the slightest clue that Yasumaro taught "how to

say" ama meaning heaven (sky); but they are intact in the original Chinese text. Yasumaro's

format of the notations vanished from the translations of the Kojiki. The first character of the

Thousand Character Text, X (sky, heaven) is analogous to the "A" in the alphabet. At the

outset of the Kojiki, Yasumaro taught a select group of intellectuals, able to read the Kojiki

written in Chinese, that X(sky, heaven) is ama in Japanese. This word is in many compound

words including the Japanese names of gods and kings.

Other important new words, taught in the Kojiki, are: soil(±)~tsuchi, cloud(~)~

36

kumo, wind(~)~kaze, to bear(lt)~umu, man(~±*)~otoko, etc. Translations of the Kojiki

reveal no evidence that these words were taught with the "how to say" notations.

In the Nihongi, after the first instance, the "how to say" notations are streamlined into

one notation "this says (Ll:~.b;)" and T;l:xLl:~ becomes T !@(n:Ll:~ with !@((all) added. These two

phrases are obviously related and can be traced only to Yasumaro, who coupled both books

with his inimitable phrases. In the Kojiki, he placed T;l:xLl:~: 38 times in the first volume, five

times in the second volume, and twice in the third. This diminishing trend was maintaind in

the Nihongi where T !@(;l:xLl:~ appears only twice in the first of 30 volumes. There is no mis­

taking the fact that Yasumaro wrote both books.

The first T !@(;l:xLl:~ in the Nihongi with Aston's translation is as follows:

formed into a God, and was called Kuni-toko-tachi no Mikoto. The character # is used

owing to the extreme dignity ofthis Deity. For the others the character -€P is used. Both are

read Mikoto. This rule is followed below.4

The second T ~;l:xLl:~ is at the end of B ;$:, Ll:bi;l1ISfifvfLf:li.T ~;l:XLl:~,2 translated as:

6 ;$:(Japan), Ll:~2~(this says) l1i3Mf:li(Yamato), T(below)~(all);I::)I:(follow)Ll:~(this); meaning

"From now on the name of Japan is Yamato."

There are over 300 "this says" notations in the Nihongi, of which the function is similar

to "instruction says" in the Kojiki, and presents many Yamato-kotoba. Several examples are

selected from the Age of the Gods in the Nihongi: country~kuni, boy~otoko, girl~otome,

god~kami, young~waka, rope~nawa, stone~ishi, feces~kuso, bead~tama, red~

aka, grass~kusa, sword~tsurugi.

The first "how to say" notation has rED T 7(., which is not Chinese. The Korean reading

"~eu Teu 7(." means "7(. located below ~." This Korean word order shows that Korean

has no prepositions. The "located below(T)" relates rED and 7(.. This is a postposition, an

example of a linguistic Koreanism,9 and indicates that Yasumaro must have spoken Korean,

as otherwise he would not have used such a construction, "r~J ~ T ~ 7(.." Yasumaro shows a

linguistic Koreanism at the beginning of the Kojiki as does his epitaph (cf. I-C) As it

reaffirmed that Korean was spoken in the period of the Nihongi, the origin of the Japanese

language cannot go back more than 1,300 years. This is the reference point with a well

37

defined upper limit in the historical period, giving the most satisfactory foundation for the

study of the origin of the Japanese language.

"One(-)-'>hitotsu" was taught twice, using 29 strokes (J:t~ti~)l in the Kojiki and 31

strokes (IHJt~1fE)2 in the Nihongi. No other history book teaches how to say "one" in its own

language. In general, history books do not teach the pronunciation of basic words, while the

two oldest Japanese history books do precisely this. If Japanese had already existed as a

language, the "how to say" notations would have been senseless. However, the question

remains if scholars, over the centuries, did not understand this, or understood and hid it from

the general public~ Not only were "how to say" notations omitted from the Japanese trans­

lations of the Kojiki, but also the omissions themselves have never been admitted to. The

omission of the "how to say notations" from the translation of the Kojiki was by design, not by

error or neglect. The Japanese public has never been informed of this deletion.

B). Descent from Heaven Decree.1,3

Ninigi-no-mikoto's "Descent from Heaven Decree" in the Kojiki, with only 34 CC,

begins with "!l:t:f:IQ.(this land) -*(is) !oJ(facing) *t~(Korea)" and ends with "!I:t:f:IQ.(this land)

is a g(very) a(lucky) :f:IQ.(1and)." He twice called his landing place "this land" while calling

his homeland Korea(*t~). Korea is the only country named in the decree. It is clear that

there was not yet a country called Japan and Ninigi-no-mikoto spoke Korean. MotoworiCz!s;:g

"§:R.1730~1801) changed Korea(*t~) to an empty country(gg~).36 Chamberlain criticizes

him saying that there is "no excuse for so dishonest a treatment of the text he undertakes to

commentate.,,3 Others followed Motowori: Taketa(:lt\ EB iIlta) opted for abroad($Ji-) while

Hasuda(~EBt&SJ.l)8 and Saig6(j~'!H~~m-nm) simply erased Korea. These are good examples of

the "denial of Korea(*t~i!f}E±~)" reported by Yamamoto(Llnt,:¥t:1<::).12

They were fully aware why the Japanese establishment hated the Kojiki already by the

end of the eighth century. The Kojiki was more feared than the Nihongi; they thought the

Kojiki told of the Korean past of Japan more directly than the latter; telling definitely that

Japanese is a manufactured language. They decided that the Nihongi without its partner, the

Kojiki, would be more manageable. They tried, but could not erase Korea (*t~) from the

decree. They resented that this "Korea" showed that the ancestors of Japanese were Korean.

Chamberlain also writes that Motoori proposed to suppress the character m, which is in

all the texts? This is because m (royal proclamation), specifically points to the fact that the

38

Japanese royal ancestors were Korean. This anti-Korean attitude was followed by those who

called Koreans as a race of horse-riding people,37 migrants from the East Asian continent,

mainly via the Korean peninsula,6 and other variations on the same theme. They have been

trying their utmost to avoid the word "Korea." Some were doing this merely to kow-tow to

to the official line. This warped intention was shown by some linguists who worked on the

origin of their language. Motowori, revered as one of the four greatest national scholars,

worked for 34 years to write his 44 volume Kojikiden (il*§c.{t,1822).36

Kamo (~a.vm. 1697 -1769) and Motowori realized that the Shoku-Nihongi (797 AD)

could notrid the Kojiki from history. It was Kamo, Motowori's mentor, who spearheaded the

theory that the Kojiki was a literary forgery. When they could not erase the Kojiki, they told

the people that it was folklore rather than a history book. Motowori started this "folklore"

with the name of his book, Kojikiden (il*§c.{t). With the character {t (folklore), he tried to

degrade the nation's first history book to a book of folklore.

Kurano(1963)! and Tsugita (1977)38 translated ~¥~ (Korea) in the decree correctly,

thereby nullifying the Motowori's attempt to abolish it.

C). Yamato-kotoba.

Yamato-kotoba defines the pure native word or language of Japan as having existed from

the Age of the Gods, without the influence of any foreign language. Nevertheless, both

counting numbers and many basic words are missing from this language. However wise and

crafty these gods might have been, they would not have spoken Yamato-kotoba; after all, these

were actual people with a national language.

Japanese count in Chinese: ichi (1), ni (2), san (3), shi (4) ...... The serial numbers of

Yamato-kotoba: hitotsu (1),jutatsu (2), mitsu (3) only go up to to (10), demonstrating an

intrinsic defect in the counting numbers of the language, the oldest words of any language.

Yamato-kotoba also lacks many elementary words. Some very often used Chinese loan­

words are: to feel (kanzuru), to believe (shinzuru), to love (aisuru), to urinate (shobensuru), to

defecate (daibenwosuru), coitus (seiko), sputum (tan), butterfly (cho), honey (mitsu), club (bO),

line (sen), letter (ji.), etc. The Japanese reading of Chinese characters are underlined.

1. The Chinese numbers from one (1) to ten (10) are all monosyllabic. The numbers of

Yamato-kotoba: Hitotsu (1),jutatsu (2), itsutsu (5), nanatsu (7), kokonotsu (9) are too

long for practical use. They cannot compete with the compact Chinese numbers which

came before the new language had a chance to mature. There are further examples:

Towo 'amari~hitotsu (11), chi 'amari-miho 'amari-yaso 'amari-itsutsu (1,385), etc.2 were

39

manufactured, but could not be used. At best, the listing of the ten serial numbers was no

more than perfunctory, and this system of numbers was dysfunctional at its inception.

With well-designed ingenious techniques, they went to great lengths to hide the origin of

Yamato-kotoba; but these efforts came to naught because of the totally defective counting

system.

2. Yamato-kotoba lacks many important elementary words. Basic unit names of length and

volume are also Chinese loan-words: sun(-r), shaku (fi:.), go(il), sho (rr), to(4), etc.

3. Too many synonyms of certain important words:

a). At one time, three possessive particles existed: no(Z), ga(Z, 7), tsu(~).

Three equivalents of "of' in one language is abnormal.

b). Multiple equivalents of the English verb to do: suru, yaru, nasu, shimasu.

c). Words meaning I (myself): watakushi, na, wa, boku, ware, washi, wagami, ore, onore,

soregashi, waira.

d). synonyms of head: atama, kashira, kabu, tsuburi, tsumuri.

e). No separate Japanese words for leg (J. ashi) and foot (J. ashi), while there are four

words for ankle bone: kurubushi, kurobushi, tsubunagi, tsububushi.

4. Ubiquitous homonyms. Two small groups are a~d and e~s.

a). hi: sun, fire, day, ice, shuttle, water pipe.

b). kasa: hat, umbrella, bulk, halo, boil (infection), pinecone.

c). neru: to sleep, to knead, to temper iron, to refine thread by boiling, to wash cloth in

lime water.

d). nori: law, method, slope, diameter, ride, gore, paste, laver.

e). tameru: CD to straighten something which is bent. (2) to bend something which is

straight.39 It is irrational that tameru has two opposite meanings. This sort of contra­

diction is often seen in Yamato-kotoba (e~s). It was arranged by the scholars.

f). chichi: father. milk. breast.

h). ayamaru: to err. to apologize.

j). kaji: oar. rudder.

1). onore: 1. you.

n). soregashi: 1. someone.

p). wagami: 1. you.

r). haha: mother. serpent.

g). wakuraba: young leaf. sick leaf.

i). hosaku: to bless. to curse.

k). kushi: hair. comb.

m). na: 1. you.

0). wa: 1. you.

q). waira: 1. we. you.

s). ashi: foot. leg. reed.

There is an excessive number of homonyms in Yamato-kotoba. The uneven and irregular

40

production of Yamato-kotoba divulges the manufactured nature of this language.

5. The history books, Kojiki and Nihongi, teach how to say basic Japanese words using

hundreds of "how to say" notations.

6. There is no law of sound change between the Korean and Japanese languages to establish

their genetic relation.

7. Glotto-chronological calculation measured the distance between Korean and Japanese

to be 7,000~10,000 years.

8. Well established consensus: there was a huge change in the language of Japan during the

Nara period (710~784 AD).

9. The number of vowels decreased from eight to five during the short period ofNara.40

This is extremely unusuaL Some say this is the cause of 8 above, without telling the

cause of this.

10. The Korean nominative suffix::i disappeared rapidly from Buddhist monks' notations

in textbooks left from the Nara period.20 This suffix follows the preceding end conso­

nant which kana lacks with the exception of -nC /'). It can follow mal (K. horse), but

not uma (1. horse).

11. Japanese had only 87 syllables in the Nara period;35 this has increased to more than 300

while the initial syllables alone in Korean28 are about 2,000.

12. atomo-no Yakamochi (f:{**:f'if) compiled the Manyoshii (AD 759), a collection of

4,516 poems and prose; only 134 years later Sugawara (tg ~ ill~) wrote in the intro­

duction of New Selection of Manyosht l that it was difficult to understand the Manyoshii.

He could not read Korean, written in i-du(:se:Ul), * the ancient Korean writing system using

Chinese characters. It is understandable therefore that Minamoto-no-shitago and five

other scholars, when ordered by the king to translate the book, could not read it about 200

ft · bl" 474344 years a er Its pu lcatlOn. -, , *It is also called hyang-chal(~~~:tL).44

CHomo spoke Korean in 759 AD. His clan was from Chinhan(!.IZ~t).45

13. The contradictory results of Aston's study: the Japanese and Korean languages are at the

same time both close and distant. 15

14. J. Patrie: the Ainu language is closer to Korean than to Japanese. 46 This changed the

notion that Ainu is a language isolate (1982).

15. They say they do not know when kana was created, saying vaguely it was sometime in the

early part of the Heian period.

41

16. Takechi county (r'6J m;!:lrS) in 772 AD chronicle of the Shoku-Nihongi: Ojin, the 15th king,

gave this county to people from Paekche. Tsuda Sokichi (1873~ 1961) emphatically

denied the arrival of these people. According to him, the statement in the Shoku Nihongi

that the Takechi county was so fully occupied by people from seventeen Paekche counties

that people of other names amounted to only 1 O~20% is absurd. Tsuda wrote that it was

impossible for immigrants to occupy most of the land that was so near the political center

of the Yamato Court.21 This was Tsuda's nationalistic political statement, not a scholarly

scientific writing. He demanded the compilers of the Shoku-Nihongi (797 AD) to rewrite

the history. This lavish protest attempted to deny the fact that they spoke Korean in Japan

during that period.

All sixteen problems can be resolved by accepting the proposition that Japanese is a manu-

factured language. To help visualize this, factor:

ax+bx+cx+ .... +px = x(a+b+c+ .... +p).

The unsolved 16 items on the left side of the equation have a common variable x, which is

the "manufactured language of Japan." This answer explains most of the questions related

to the origin of the Japanese language.

§. The official installation of kana and the Japanese reading of Chinese characters.

Buddhist monks studied the Devanagari (48 letters),47 which gave the writing professor,

Malsa Seonsin, the idea of the number of kana to be made. The earliest practice song of

kana, Ametsuchi-no kotoba (::Rj:-fu~BJ), had 48 kana.47 The Ametsuchi (::Rj:-fu, heaven earth)

. is derived from the first two characters of both the Thousand Character Text (=f'¥X) and

the Kojiki. Both books begin with these characters and end with ill (final particle).

Yasumaro emulated the Thousand Character Text when he wrote the Kojiki.

The five vowels of kana, mentioned in 9 above, came from simple vowels of Devanagari

minus its long vowels.28 a, a, i, I, u, ii, e, o. -;.a, i, u, e, o.

The shape of kana closely resembles that of the kukyol (lJ~) used in a Buddhist sutra

found in 1973 at Munsusa, a Korean temple (Table 7).48

The kana being a syllabary, unlike the Devanagari (alphabet), is the most significant

feature of these letters. It is important to understand that the kana could not transcribe

Korean, which was soon to be replaced by the new language of Japan.

Spoken languages exist long before their letters, but the Japanese language required letters

before its birth. Besides the already existing Korean language, kana and the Japanese

42

reading of CC were needed to create the new language. This preparatory groundwork

took about ten years.

Table 7.

'J1U '1')."'\';::"1~ ~<?""" 'J1~y ~/~J";'::: ;,.-:kJ::. 'I ;"'1'tJ. "<'i1 '0 t.. t.~' ~-rP~

Y>':l1 " ;-~;i(1)1 5-t~xl ') ;-k~ 'J:,f-J;>1?Zl -is. '11'"kl '/ ;-1"";-1 G r '101(; Y I} f;J '0 "'"\ :-1 -3' Y'C7l.. 1 y..t;.~, :'-'11) ~ 1~l!; ;11 ") 'f:.H-)P .) ~ J" ~1t.~ tJ .... '} 'ir ,) 3' ')~a} 1:>1;: ,~, ')., "'17-1'"1 Y~,};'}1;: ~ ') ::--1 I) r;::;J " 5' ).ii .i) "", :. ~ ,) ::.-l- i ~ Y '1 ~1J i) J)'Jrs' 1€.de .. , \) ;. '0 U '!" .. y'l)~I'lf'!1) 'lI. ~ '1-:r11) ~ .. '),'}:Jx:.lY9?~ ~ ~~'\ y~. ,/'0"1 "J 3' ") r '} ')"CJ"" ;-1 ~~ ')'0 .. ,;:..1 Y# ,) }~'l ,::.ry~1 4:1: '.I 0 't. u.;. ')-I;.,,;,,1~:: J;r-:rl ~ T:? 1 "J-t.:i~X. 'J~tt).:; / ') t. p\ :, 1 ~ 'j I 'jlt J '.;...l ')~1'1 .:-}-1 ~ \.t::. o:n:."V;-- .;:.--&:.? y~",,~~, 0"';:"1 ~1'? U y<v~"u l::7"E.i= ~1C?-'}~"'1 b- 'E. .. ,::-J ~t) t11 '.J <a 7;;>P Po 't"";;;'9" ~\J l:. t. "Ji'JI't. l:.~l) $' ~.,V') ....... ::: '11.-, w'lF' 'Ell I) ':1-1 ~ ~t:n,j"5" '11 17) - 'l ">

.. ~f'J+l ~

'J 11UJ I) ~f ~'). ~'1~F1')j 'Ji iJ]'}~ > ~J :/{~:;i'E.)

,;.?~x.l ~~ ~ ;-r1 1}.3'

Buzo A. 1980. An introduction to the early Korean writing system.

Transaction of the Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch.48

Necessary elements to make the Japanese language were: CD Korean and Korean reading

of CC, (2) CC, ® Japanese reading of CC, and @ kana. In the above four categories ® and

@ cannot be separated because kana were made from Cc.

The two professors of pronunciation and the writing professor had to be working together.

Of all the languages, only Japanese required two types ofletlers before its birth. When

Yasumaro was writing the Kojiki he was already using kana. This is contrary to the

common belief that kana were created sometime in the early Heian period (794~ 1192 AD).

The ruling authorit'j which already had sanctioned two national history books in the early

eighth century, is saying that they did not know when kana, the national letters, were

introduced. They had to hide why and when kana was created, and by whom. They could

not admit that Japanese is a manufactured language. Yasumaro affronted the Japanese

establishment throughout both history books by telling the truth about the Japanese

language. In this regard, the Chronicles of Queen Jito carry a special implication because

Yasumaro introduced all four professors who helped him create the new language and

write the history books. He thanked his friends with permanent records in the official

history book of Japan. King Temmu ordered Yasumaro to write the Kojiki in 681 AD; and

his wife, Queen Jito awarded the three professsors, Hsti Shou-yen, Sa Hung-ko and Malsa

Seonsin with gifts on Sept. 4,691 AD. This is the day when kana and the Japanese

reading of Chinese characters were officially installed, though the Japanese people have

been kept in ignorance in order to hide the origin ofthe Japanese language. This tells that

it took about ten years to lay the ground work, the installation of kana and the Japanese

reading of CC, prior to the creation ofthe Japanese language.

44