ゐゑヲヰヱ

[-悪魔-]

What are these kana's used for? Are old kana thats not used anymore? If so when were they stopped being used?

[PaulTB]

What are these kana's used for?
They are still used in some (very few) words - mostly proper names.

Are old kana thats not used anymore?
Yes, mostly.

If so when were they stopped being used?
Pass.

[splice]

What PaulTB said. Also, from the Omniglot (guide to writing systems) at http://www.omniglot.com/writing/japanese_hiragana.htm :


The symbols for 'wi' and 'we' were made obsolete by the Japanese Minsitry of Education in 1946 as part of its language reforms.


So pretty recent a change, but an efficient one. Haven't seen them around in texts or anything :).

[-悪魔-]

Do you guys have a website for the old old style japanese? Where the kana actually looked like things? I used to have a website that was a old language database that had this but I lost the link long ago.

[komachi]

hi!
i think i can explain a little　bit　 about 　ゐ　ヰ ゑ　ヱ　ヲ　を.

Ancient Japan had more vowel pronunciation than present Japan.

hiragana=ゐ　ゑ　 を　, katakana = ヰ　ヱ　ヲ
(Wi)ヰ=ゐ ,　(We)ヱ=ゑ　 , (WO) を=ヲ

　ゐ　ヰ ゑ　ヱ were unified　at recent years,　even notation .
They are rarely found in the name of goods and company　from around the 19th century.


old ヰスキー (wiskii/whiskey)
now ウィスキー
old ゑびす (webisu/a name of one of seven fortune gods )　
now えびす (ebisu)
the pronunciation of ヲ　を　became "O" (sometimes Japanese people may be having pronounced while not noticing)

But the notation of ヲ　を　are still large activity.
For example,
私　　を　　およがせて。 watashi -- "o" -- oyogasete　/　let me swim.

犬　　を　　連れていく。　inu o tureteiku / (It) take(s) a dog. 　

I am sorry to be strange English.

[komachi]

The pronunciation which I explained to ヱゑ（we） may be （je).
My memory is confused. I'm sorry.

The pronunciation of (je or we) changed to(E),(wo)changed to(O)
about the middle of the 18th century.


btw,
{じ/ぢ}　{ず/づ}were separate pronunciation till about around AD1700 .

[jonny-mt]

The only one of those I saw during my time there was ヱ, as it ヱビス (Yebisu/Ebisu) ビール. And believe you me, I saw a lot of those....

[Glenn]

btw,
{じ/ぢ}　{ず/づ}were separate pronunciation till about around AD1700 .

No kidding? I had no idea about that; that's very interesting. Thanks for the info. :bow: :-)

[komachi]

I remembered!
ヱビス pronounced with WEBISU!!
i was confused by Yebisu beer.

It must be natural.ヱビス (Yebisu/Ebisu) beer is yammy!
i like Yebisu beer! :romance: :genji:

Glenn　san
私は英語にあまり自信がないです。

「AD1700まで、another pronunciationだった。」
という意味になっていればいいんだけど。。。（逆だっ たら、訂正しなきゃ。）