The Etymology and Meaning of Japanese On‘yomi Readings167

Introduction

When we learn Japanese, we often come across words that have two different readings: the native Japanese reading known as kun'yomi and the Chinese-derived reading known as on'yomi. On'yomi readings are used for words that have been borrowed from Chinese, and they can provide valuable insights into the history and meaning of these words.

The Origins of On'yomi Readings

On'yomi readings originated in ancient China, where they were used to pronounce Chinese characters. When Buddhism was introduced to Japan from China in the 6th century, Japanese scholars began to adopt Chinese characters to write their own language. However, the Japanese language had a very different sound system from Chinese, so the Japanese scholars had to adapt the Chinese pronunciations to fit the Japanese sound system. This process resulted in the development of multiple on'yomi readings for many Chinese characters, each corresponding to a different historical period or region of China.

The Different Types of On'yomi Readings

There are two main types of on'yomi readings: Go-on and Kan-on. Go-on readings are based on the pronunciations of Chinese characters during the Tang Dynasty, while Kan-on readings are based on the pronunciations of Chinese characters during the Han Dynasty. Go-on readings are generally more common in eastern Japan, while Kan-on readings are more common in western Japan.
In addition to Go-on and Kan-on readings, there are also a number of other on'yomi readings that have been borrowed from other Chinese dialects or from Korean. These readings are known as "tō-on" readings.

The Meaning of On'yomi Readings

On'yomi readings can provide valuable insights into the meaning of words. For example, the on'yomi reading of the character "山" is "san", which means "mountain". This is because the Chinese character "山" originally represented a mountain. Similarly, the on'yomi reading of the character "水" is "sui", which means "water". This is because the Chinese character "水" originally represented water.

On'yomi Readings in Modern Japanese

On'yomi readings are still used in modern Japanese, although their use has declined in recent years. They are most commonly used in compound words, such as "自動車" (jidōsha, "car") and "学校" (gakkō, "school"). On'yomi readings can also be used to distinguish between different words that are written with the same Chinese character. For example, the character "本" can be read as "hon" (native Japanese reading) or "bon" (on'yomi reading). The hon reading means "book", while the bon reading means "main" or "original".

Conclusion

On'yomi readings are a valuable part of the Japanese language. They provide insights into the history and meaning of words, and they are still used in modern Japanese in a variety of contexts.

2024-11-01

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