ゐゑヲヰヱ

[-悪魔-]

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

 

[PaulTB]

What are these kana used for?

They are still used in some (very few) words - mostly proper names.

Are old kana that's 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 Japanese Hiragana :

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.

 

[10almonds]

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.

 

[10almonds]

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.

 

[10almonds]

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 yummy!
I like Yebisu beer!

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。）