Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 223

1841.

Notices of Japan, No. VIII.

209

the well-educated, all four kinds of letters are often indiscriminately used and intermixed with the Chinese ideographic characters; one word, or even one sylla- baries, with the variations (or synonymous characters as they may be called), all of which cannot be much less than three hundred, together with the unlimited use made of Chinese characters, both in the running-hand and in the common form, it must be conceded that the scholars of Japan have succeeded in making their language one of the most difficult to read of any in the world, if indeed it is not the first in this respect. So close and so extensive is the connection between the two languages, that before the native student can make much satisfactory progress in his own literature, he must acquire a knowledge of three or four thou sand Chinese characters, and ascertain how they are used by authors in his own country, the various modes of combining the two languages, and the different ways of writing the same character. Indeed, as it may easily be supposed, much of the time of the scholar is consumed in merely learning to read and write. We give a specimen of a common Japanese book, in which the hira-kana forms the ground. work as it were, intermixed with numerous Chinese characters, and with syllables from the yamato-kana. A translation of it can be seen by turning to vol. IX., page 90, bottom paragraph, on ‘roasting_ore.' The first three lines are read as follows:

Haku shekiwo yaku dzu.

Haku shekiwo yaku nite, hazhimete kanadowo tskuru; kanadoni ardshi guchi arri, hiwo towasu kuchi nari, kanado no sotoni takigiwo shiki, &c., &c.

It will be observed that many of the common Chinese characters are without either collateral explanations, or sound; and also that such characters as have been explained once are left unmarked when repeated soon after.

Specimen of common Japanese Writing.

i

n

+

冷めて花取出

打多萱名

火

璞

璞

蝦

لتمهم

竃の

焼くの先竃を作る寛ま嵐踊り 薪を

底を作

石とな且に旦

数点

H

くち

蝦や

劣

透点

焚た

積?

آقا

Ap..

大と焚くなりち

赤復ひと

ずって冷

拭き

VOL. X. NO. IV.

27

L..

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