12
votes
Accepted
Is Japanese に related to the Chinese character 仁?
Yes, the kana に is derived from the Chinese character ([漢字]{かんじ}, kanji) 仁. See also the English Wiktionary page and the Japanese Wikipedia page, among other references.
All kana derived from kanji. ...
- 38.6k
6
votes
Accepted
Has Japanese syntax changed between the 1950s and today?
言文一致 and the shift to modern kana orthography (1946) happened shortly before this period, and they were undoubtedly much more fundamental than anything that happened after 1950. But I'll focus on the ...
- 337k
4
votes
Evolution of the pronunciation of the surname 中嶋/中島 from "Nakashima" to "Nakajima"
According to several sources, なかしま is dominant in western Japan.
中島さん、愛知で「なかしま」宣言 読み方違うのなぜ
「なかしま」ＶＳ「なかじま」
九州だと中島という名字は「なかじま」ではなく「なかしま」（濁らない）というパターンが多いのでしょうか？
But guessing the reading of a 中島さん based ...
- 337k
3
votes
Accepted
一段動詞が五段動詞に進化できますか？
A few evidences may show people are inclined to use godan verbs more often.
ら抜き言葉 refers to making a "wrong" potential form from ichidan verbs as if they were godan verbs.
What's is the ...
- 337k
3
votes
Katakana loanwords: is there data about their creation/evolution and acceptance as "new Japanese words"?
By summing up your actual questions, they become as follows:
When exactly did the drastic increase of the use of katakana loanwords start?
Do you know of any data/references where one ...
- 15.4k
3
votes
Accepted
Why did こなた and そなた fall out of use but not あなた?
The original meanings of あなた/そなた/こなた are "that/this way", and these original meanings have fallen out of use, regardless of whether it's あ, そ, or こ. Today, we always say あちら/そちら/こちら.
On the ...
- 337k
2
votes
Has Japanese syntax changed between the 1950s and today?
If you mean by "syntax" basic structures of the language and fundamental rules of how you construct a sentence (like the subject-object-verb order), I'd say nothing has changed. Most ...
- 5,811
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