Hentaigana

In the Japanese writing system, hentaigana (変体仮名, 変体がな, Japanese pronunciation: [hentaiɡana] or [hentaꜜiɡana], lit. "variant kana")[lower-alpha 1] are obsolete or nonstandard hiragana. They include both stylistic variants of current hiragana and distinct alternative hiragana characters. Today, with a few exceptions, there is only one hiragana for each of the fifty consonant–vowel sequences (moras) in Japanese. However, traditionally there were generally several more-or-less interchangeable hiragana for each. A 1900 script reform[lower-alpha 2] ordained that only one selected character be used for each mora, with the rest deemed hentaigana. Although not normally used in publication, hentaigana are still used in shop signs and brand names to create a traditional or antiquated air.

Not to be confused with Hentai.
Hentaigana
変体仮名
変体がな
itaigana (異体仮名)[1]
Type
LanguagesJapanese and Okinawan
Time period
c. 800 – 1900 CE; minor use at present
Parent systems
Oracle Bone Script
Sister systems
Katakana, Hiragana
DirectionLeft-to-right
ISO 15924Hira, 410
Unicode alias
Hiragana
Unicode range
Japanese writing
Components
Uses
Romanization

Hiragana originate in man'yōgana, a system where kanji were used to write sounds without regard to their meaning. There was more than one kanji that could be used equivalently for each syllable (at the time, a syllable was a mora). Over time the man'yōgana was reduced to a cursive form, the hiragana. Many hentaigana derive from different kanji from the ones for the now-standard hiragana, but some are the result of different styles of cursive writing. As hentaigana have derived from man'yōgana, there are hundreds of different hentaigana used to represent only 90 moras of the Japanese language.

On the other hand, katakana do not have hentaigana. Katakana's choices of man'yōgana segments had stabilized early on and established – with few exceptions – an unambiguous phonemic orthography (one symbol per sound) long before the 1900 script regularization.[3]

Standardized hentaigana

Prior to the proposal which led to the inclusion of hentaigana in Unicode 10.0, they were already Standardized into a list by Mojikiban, part of the Japanese Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA).[4]

a i u e o
∅ あ(安) い(以) う(宇) え(衣) お(於)
𛀂(安)

𛀅(惡)

𛀃(愛)

𛀄(阿)

 𛀆(以)

𛀇(伊)

𛀈(意)

𛀉(移)

 𛀊(宇)

𛀋(宇)

𛀌(憂)

𛀍(有)

𛀎(雲)

 𛀁(江)

𛀏(盈)

𛀐(縁)

𛀑(衣)

𛀒(衣)

𛀓(要)

 𛀔(於)

𛀕(於)

𛀖(隱)

k か(加) き(幾) く(久) け(計) こ(己)
𛀗(佳)

𛀘(加)

𛀙(可)

𛀚(可)

𛀛(嘉)

𛀢(家)

𛀜(我)

𛀝(歟)

𛀞(賀)

𛀟(閑)

𛀠(香)

𛀡(駕)

 𛀣(喜)[5]

𛀤(幾)

𛀥(幾)

𛀦(支)

𛀻(期)

𛀧(木)

𛀨(祈)

𛀩(貴)

𛀪(起)

 𛀫(久)

𛀬(久)

𛀭(九)

𛀮(供)

𛀯(倶)

𛀰(具)

𛀱(求)

 𛀳(介)

𛀲(介)

𛀢(家)

𛀴(希)

𛀵(氣)

𛀶(計)

𛀷(遣)

 𛀸(古)

𛂘(子)

𛀹(故)

𛀻(期)

𛀺(許)

s さ(左) し(之) す(寸) せ(世) そ(曾)
𛀼(乍)

𛀽(佐)

𛀾(佐)

𛀿(左)

𛁀(差)

𛁁(散)

𛁂(斜)

𛁃(沙)

 𛁄(之)

𛁅(之)

𛁆(事)

𛁇(四)

𛁈(志)

𛁉(新)

 𛁊(受)

𛁋(壽)

𛁌(數)

𛁍(數)

𛁎(春)

𛁏(春)

𛁐(須)

𛁑(須)

 𛁒(世)

𛁓(世)

𛁔(世)

𛁕(勢)

𛁖(聲)

 𛁗(所)

𛁘(所)

𛁙(曾)

𛁚(曾)

𛁛(楚)

𛁜(蘇)

𛁝(處)

t た(太) ち(知) つ(州) て(天) と(止)
𛁞(堂)

𛁟(多)

𛁠(多)

𛁡(當)

 𛁢(千)

𛁣(地)

𛁤(智)

𛁥(知)

𛁦(知)

𛁧(致)

𛁨(遲)

 𛁩(川)

𛁪(川)

𛁫(津)

𛁬(都)

𛁭(徒)

 𛁮(亭)

𛁯(低)

𛁰(傳)

𛁱(天)

𛁲(天)

𛁳(天)

𛁴(帝)

𛁵(弖)

𛁶(轉)

𛂎(而)

 𛁷(土)

𛁸(度)

𛁹(東)

𛁺(登)

𛁻(登)

𛁼(砥)

𛁽(等)

𛁭(徒)

n な(奈) に(仁) ぬ(奴) ね(祢) の(乃)
𛁾(南)

𛁿(名)

𛂀(奈)

𛂁(奈)

𛂂(奈)

𛂃(菜)

𛂄(那)

𛂅(那)

𛂆(難)

 𛂇(丹)

𛂈(二)

𛂉(仁)

𛂊(兒)

𛂋(爾)

𛂌(爾)

𛂍(耳)

𛂎(而)

 𛂏(努)

𛂐(奴)

𛂑(怒)

 𛂒(年)

𛂓(年)

𛂔(年)

𛂕(根)

𛂖(熱)

𛂗(禰)

𛂘(子)

 𛂙(乃)

𛂚(濃)

𛂛(能)

𛂜(能)

𛂝(農)

h は(波) ひ(比) ふ(不) へ(部) ほ(保)
𛂞(八)

𛂟(半)

𛂠(婆)

𛂡(波)

𛂢(盤)

𛂣(盤)

𛂤(破)

𛂥(者)

𛂦(者)

𛂧(葉)

𛂨(頗)

 𛂩(悲)

𛂪(日)

𛂫(比)

𛂬(避)

𛂭(非)

𛂮(飛)

𛂯(飛)

 𛂰(不)

𛂱(婦)

𛂲(布)

 𛂳(倍)

𛂴(弊)

𛂵(弊)

𛂶(遍)

𛂷(邊)

𛂸(邊)

𛂹(部)

 𛂺(保)

𛂻(保)

𛂼(報)

𛂽(奉)

𛂾(寶)

𛂿(本)

𛃀(本)

𛃁(豊)

m ま(末) み(美) む(武) め(女) も(毛)
𛃂(万)

𛃃(末)

𛃄(末)

𛃅(滿)

𛃆(滿)

𛃇(萬)

𛃈(麻)

𛃖(馬)

 𛃉(三)

𛃊(微)

𛃋(美)

𛃌(美)

𛃍(美)

𛃎(見)

𛃏(身)

 𛃐(武)

𛃑(無)

𛃒(牟)

𛃓(舞)

𛄝(无)

𛄞(无)

 𛃔(免)

𛃕(面)

𛃖(馬)

 𛃗(母)

𛃘(毛)

𛃙(毛)

𛃚(毛)

𛃛(茂)

𛃜(裳)

𛄝(无)

𛄞(无)

y や(也) 𛀆(以) ゆ(由) 𛀁(江) よ(与)
𛃝(也)

𛃞(也)

𛃟(屋)

𛃠(耶)

𛃡(耶)

𛃢(夜)

 𛀆(以) 𛃣(游)

𛃤(由)

𛃥(由)

𛃦(遊)

 𛀁(江) 𛃧(代)

𛃨(余)

𛃩(與)

𛃪(與)

𛃫(與)

𛃬(餘)

𛃢(夜)

r ら(良) り(利) る(留) れ(礼) ろ(呂)
𛃭(羅)

𛃮(良)

𛃯(良)

𛃰(良)

𛁽(等)

 𛃱(利)

𛃲(利)

𛃳(李)

𛃴(梨)

𛃵(理)

𛃶(里)

𛃷(離)

 𛃸(流)

𛃹(留)

𛃺(留)

𛃻(留)

𛃼(累)

𛃽(類)

 𛃾(禮)

𛃿(禮)

𛄀(連)

𛄁(麗)

 𛄂(呂)

𛄃(呂)

𛄄(婁)

𛄅(樓)

𛄆(路)

𛄇(露)

w わ(和) ゐ(為)
(汙)[6]		 ゑ(恵) を(遠)
𛄈(倭)

𛄉(和)

𛄊(和)

𛄋(王)

𛄌(王)

 𛄍(井)

𛄎(井)

𛄏(居)

𛄐(爲)

𛄑(遺)

 𛄒(惠)

𛄓(衞)

𛄔(衞)

𛄕(衞)

 𛄖(乎)

𛄗(乎)

𛄘(尾)

𛄙(緒)

𛄚(越)

𛄛(遠)

𛄜(遠)

𛀅(惡)

n' ん(无)
𛄝(无)

𛄞(无)

To view hentaigana, special fonts need to be installed that support Hentaigana such as

Sources of hentaigana

Hentaigana are adapted from the reduced and cursive forms of the following man’yōgana (kanji) characters.[7] Source characters for the kana are not repeated below for hentaigana even when there are alternative glyphs; some uncertain.

Kanji origins of kana
aiueo
HiraKataHentai HiraKataHentai HiraKataHentai HiraKataHentai HiraKataHentai
∅ 安阿悪亜愛 以伊意移異夷 宇有雲憂羽于 衣江要盈得縁延 於
K 加閑可我駕賀歌哥香家嘉歟謌佳 機幾支起貴喜祈季木 久倶具求九供 計介遣氣希个 己許故古期興子
S 左散佐斜沙差乍狭 之志四新事斯師 寸須春數壽爪 世勢聲瀬 曽(曾)所楚處蘇
T 太多當堂田佗 知千地遲治致智池馳 川川州徒都津頭 天停亭轉弖帝傳偏氐低 止東登度等斗刀戸土
N 奈那難名南菜 仁爾耳二児丹尼而 奴怒努駑 祢(禰)年子熱念音根寢 乃能濃農廼野
H 波八者盤半葉頗婆芳羽破 比日飛悲非火避備妣 不婦布風 部旁倍遍弊邊閉敝幣反變辨經 保寶本報奉穂
M 末万満萬眞馬間麻摩漫 美三見微身民 武牟無（无）舞務夢 女免面馬目妻 毛母裳茂蒙藻
Y 也夜耶屋哉 - 由遊游 - 與（与）與代餘余世夜
R 良羅蘭落等 利梨里離理季 留流累類 礼（禮）連麗 呂婁樓路露侶廬魯論
W 和王輪倭〇 為井居委遺 - 惠衛彗 遠乎越尾緒

In Unicode
Main articles: Kana Supplement (Unicode block) and Kana Extended-A (Unicode block)

286 hentaigana characters are included in the Unicode Standard in the Kana Supplement and Kana Extended-A blocks. One character was added to Unicode version 6.0 in 2010, 𛀁 (U+1B001 HIRAGANA LETTER ARCHAIC YE which has the formal alias HENTAIGANA LETTER E-1), and the remaining 285 hentaigana characters were added in Unicode version 10.0 in June 2017.[8]

The Unicode block for Kana Supplement is U+1B000–U+1B0FF:

Kana Supplement[1]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)
 0123456789ABCDEF
U+1B00x 𛀀 𛀁 𛀂 𛀃 𛀄 𛀅 𛀆 𛀇 𛀈 𛀉 𛀊 𛀋 𛀌 𛀍 𛀎 𛀏
U+1B01x 𛀐 𛀑 𛀒 𛀓 𛀔 𛀕 𛀖 𛀗 𛀘 𛀙 𛀚 𛀛 𛀜 𛀝 𛀞 𛀟
U+1B02x 𛀠 𛀡 𛀢 𛀣 𛀤 𛀥 𛀦 𛀧 𛀨 𛀩 𛀪 𛀫 𛀬 𛀭 𛀮 𛀯
U+1B03x 𛀰 𛀱 𛀲 𛀳 𛀴 𛀵 𛀶 𛀷 𛀸 𛀹 𛀺 𛀻 𛀼 𛀽 𛀾 𛀿
U+1B04x 𛁀 𛁁 𛁂 𛁃 𛁄 𛁅 𛁆 𛁇 𛁈 𛁉 𛁊 𛁋 𛁌 𛁍 𛁎 𛁏
U+1B05x 𛁐 𛁑 𛁒 𛁓 𛁔 𛁕 𛁖 𛁗 𛁘 𛁙 𛁚 𛁛 𛁜 𛁝 𛁞 𛁟
U+1B06x 𛁠 𛁡 𛁢 𛁣 𛁤 𛁥 𛁦 𛁧 𛁨 𛁩 𛁪 𛁫 𛁬 𛁭 𛁮 𛁯
U+1B07x 𛁰 𛁱 𛁲 𛁳 𛁴 𛁵 𛁶 𛁷 𛁸 𛁹 𛁺 𛁻 𛁼 𛁽 𛁾 𛁿
U+1B08x 𛂀 𛂁 𛂂 𛂃 𛂄 𛂅 𛂆 𛂇 𛂈 𛂉 𛂊 𛂋 𛂌 𛂍 𛂎 𛂏
U+1B09x 𛂐 𛂑 𛂒 𛂓 𛂔 𛂕 𛂖 𛂗 𛂘 𛂙 𛂚 𛂛 𛂜 𛂝 𛂞 𛂟
U+1B0Ax 𛂠 𛂡 𛂢 𛂣 𛂤 𛂥 𛂦 𛂧 𛂨 𛂩 𛂪 𛂫 𛂬 𛂭 𛂮 𛂯
U+1B0Bx 𛂰 𛂱 𛂲 𛂳 𛂴 𛂵 𛂶 𛂷 𛂸 𛂹 𛂺 𛂻 𛂼 𛂽 𛂾 𛂿
U+1B0Cx 𛃀 𛃁 𛃂 𛃃 𛃄 𛃅 𛃆 𛃇 𛃈 𛃉 𛃊 𛃋 𛃌 𛃍 𛃎 𛃏
U+1B0Dx 𛃐 𛃑 𛃒 𛃓 𛃔 𛃕 𛃖 𛃗 𛃘 𛃙 𛃚 𛃛 𛃜 𛃝 𛃞 𛃟
U+1B0Ex 𛃠 𛃡 𛃢 𛃣 𛃤 𛃥 𛃦 𛃧 𛃨 𛃩 𛃪 𛃫 𛃬 𛃭 𛃮 𛃯
U+1B0Fx 𛃰 𛃱 𛃲 𛃳 𛃴 𛃵 𛃶 𛃷 𛃸 𛃹 𛃺 𛃻 𛃼 𛃽 𛃾 𛃿
Notes
1.^ As of Unicode version 13.0

The Unicode block for Kana Extended-A is U+1B100–U+1B12F:

Kana Extended-A[1][2]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)
 0123456789ABCDEF
U+1B10x 𛄀 𛄁 𛄂 𛄃 𛄄 𛄅 𛄆 𛄇 𛄈 𛄉 𛄊 𛄋 𛄌 𛄍 𛄎 𛄏
U+1B11x 𛄐 𛄑 𛄒 𛄓 𛄔 𛄕 𛄖 𛄗 𛄘 𛄙 𛄚 𛄛 𛄜 𛄝 𛄞
U+1B12x
Notes
1.^ As of Unicode version 13.0
2.^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

Development of the hiragana syllabic n
Modern hiragana n.

The hiragana syllabic n (ん) derives from a cursive form of the character 无, and originally signified /mu͍/, the same as む. The spelling reform of 1900 separated the two uses, declaring that む could only be used for /mu͍/ and ん could only be used for syllable-final /ɴ/. Previously, in the absence of a character for the syllable-final /ɴ/, the sound was spelled (but not pronounced) identically to /mu͍/, and readers had to rely on context to determine what was intended. This ambiguity has led to some modern expressions based on what are, in effect, spelling pronunciations.

Modern usage
A soba restaurant: the sign reads "生𛁛𛂦 𛂁𛀚井" kisoba nagai. Written right-to-left, kisoba has the kanji 生 ki, and hentaigana 𛁛𛂦, derived from the kanji 楚 so and ba (者 ha with ゛ [dakuten]). The black vertical text nagai has 奈 na, ga (可 ka with ゛), both also below, and the kanji 井 i.

Hentaigana are considered obsolete, but a few marginal uses remain. For example, otemoto (chopsticks), is written in hentaigana on some wrappers and many soba shops use hentaigana to spell kisoba on their signs. (See also: "Ye Olde" for "the old" on English signs.)

Hentaigana are used in some formal handwritten documents, particularly in certificates issued by classical Japanese cultural groups (e.g., martial art schools, etiquette schools, religious study groups, etc.). Also, they are occasionally used in reproductions of classic Japanese texts, akin to the use of blackletter in English and other Germanic languages to give an archaic flair. Modern poems may be composed and printed in hentaigana for visual effect.[9]

However, most Japanese people are unable to read hentaigana nowadays, only recognizing a few from their common use in shop signs, or figuring them out from context.

Some of the following hentaigana are cursive forms of the same kanji as their standard hiragana counterparts, but simplified differently. Others descend from unrelated kanji that represent the same sound.

  • 以（い）i
  • 江（え）e
  • 於（お）o
  • 可（か）ka, ga
  • 起（き）ki, gi
  • 古（こ）ko, go
  • 志（し）shi, ji
  • 春（す）su, zu
  • 多（た）ta, da
  • 奈（な）na
  • 能（の）no
  • 者（は）ha, ba
  • 由（ゆ）yu
  • 連（れ）re
  • 路（ろ）ro
  • 王（わ）wa
gollark: Never java.
gollark: Not Java.
gollark: Rust.
gollark: <@!202992030685724675> COMMUNIST.
gollark: Red and black would look a bit bad; try yellow and green.

See also

Notes
  1. The hentai (変体: "variant" or "irregular form") in this word is not the same as the hentai (変態) which means "abnormal" or "pervert".
  2. The reform was decreed in the 1900 revision of the Regulations on the Enforcement of the Elementary School Ordinance (小学校令施行規則, Shōgakkō-rei Shikōkisoku) for primary school education.[2]

References
  1. 笹原宏之, 横山詔, Eric Long (2003). 現代日本の異体字. 三省堂. pp. 35–36. ISBN 4-385-36112-6.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Frellesvig, Bjarke (2010-07-29). A History of the Japanese Language. Cambridge University Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-1-139-48880-8.
  3. Tranter, Nicolas (2012). The Languages of Japan and Korea. Routledge. p. 218. ISBN 978-0-415-46287-7.
  4. http://mojikiban.ipa.go.jp/xb164/
  5. "MJ文字情報一覧表 変体仮名編". mojikiban.ipa.go.jp. The Kanji 㐂 derived from the Hentaigana of 喜. Retrieved 2018-11-19.CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. Iannacone, Jake (2020). "Reply to The Origin of Hiragana /wu/ 平仮名のわ行うの字源に対する新たな発見"
  7. 伊地知, 鉄男 (1966). 仮名変体集. 新典社.
  8. "Unicode 10.0.0". Unicode Consortium. June 20, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  9. The Japan Interpreter. Center for Japanese Social and Political Studies. 1976. p. 395.
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