Japanese Language Layers
(Base 46)
For each: Kana → Romaji → Latin Chain → Role/Notes
Vowels (core five)
- あ → a → a — open vowel nucleus
- い → i → i — front high vowel
- う → u → u — back high vowel
- え → e → e — mid-front vowel
- お → o → o — mid-back vowel
K-row 6. か → ka → k + a — voiceless velar + a
7. き → ki → k + i — palatalizable; basis for きゃ/きゅ/きょ
8. く → ku → k + u — rounded back vowel
9. け → ke → k + e
10. こ → ko → k + o
S-row 11. さ → sa → s + a
12. し → shi → s + h + i — alveolo-palatal [ɕi]
13. す → su → s + u
14. せ → se → s + e
15. そ → so → s + o
T-row 16. た → ta → t + a
17. ち → chi → c + h + i — alveolo-palatal [tɕi]
18. つ → tsu → t + s + u — affricate; basis for っ (gemination cue)
19. て → te → t + e
20. と → to → t + o
N-row 21. な → na → n + a
22. に → ni → n + i — palatalizable; basis for にゃ/にゅ/にょ
23. ぬ → nu → n + u
24. ね → ne → n + e
25. の → no → n + o
H-row 26. は → ha → h + a — particle “wa” when written は
27. ひ → hi → h + i — palatalizable; basis for ひゃ/ひゅ/ひょ
28. ふ → fu → f + u — bilabial [ɸɯ] historically “hu”
29. へ → he → h + e — particle “e” when written へ
30. ほ → ho → h + o
M-row 31. ま → ma → m + a
32. み → mi → m + i — palatalizable; basis for みゃ/みゅ/みょ
33. む → mu → m + u
34. め → me → m + e
35. も → mo → m + o
Y-row 36. や → ya → y + a
37. ゆ → yu → y + u
38. よ → yo → y + o
R-row 39. ら → ra → r + a — flap [ɾ]
40. り → ri → r + i — palatalizable; basis for りゃ/りゅ/りょ
41. る → ru → r + u
42. れ → re → r + e
43. ろ → ro → r + o
W-row + syllabic nasal 44. わ → wa → w + a
45. を → (w)o → w + o — particle “o” (object marker), pronounced “o”
46. ん → n → n — syllabic nasal; assimilates to following consonant (m, ŋ, etc.)
Minimal rules (so a system can operate immediately)
- Dakuten/Handakuten (voicing) — to add next:
が/ぎ/ぐ/げ/ご → g-row; ざ/じ/ず/ぜ/ぞ → z/j-row; だ/ぢ/づ/で/ど → d-row; ば/び/ぶ/べ/ぼ and ぱ/ぴ/ぷ/ぺ/ぽ → b/p rows.
We’ll encode these as base kana + diacritic flag so generation is mechanical. - Yōon (contracted syllables): small ゃ/ゅ/ょ after i-row kana (き/ぎ, し/じ, ち/ぢ, に, ひ/び/ぴ, み, り) → kya/gyo, etc. Represent as: root (ki) + small-ya tag → k + y + a chain.
- Gemination: small っ doubles the following consonant. Represent as geminate flag → next onset duplication (e.g., きって → k + i + [geminate t] + t + e).
- Particles with orthographic–phonetic divergence: は→/wa/, へ→/e/, を→/o/ in particle use. Tag with particle_mode=true to override default phoneme.
Katakana Graphemic Module (Base 46)
Vowels
- ア → a → a
- イ → i → i
- ウ → u → u
- エ → e → e
- オ → o → o
K-row 6. カ → ka → k + a
7. キ → ki → k + i
8. ク → ku → k + u
9. ケ → ke → k + e
10. コ → ko → k + o
S-row 11. サ → sa → s + a
12. シ → shi → s + h + i
13. ス → su → s + u
14. セ → se → s + e
15. ソ → so → s + o
T-row 16. タ → ta → t + a
17. チ → chi → c + h + i
18. ツ → tsu → t + s + u
19. テ → te → t + e
20. ト → to → t + o
N-row 21. ナ → na → n + a
22. ニ → ni → n + i
23. ヌ → nu → n + u
24. ネ → ne → n + e
25. ノ → no → n + o
H-row 26. ハ → ha → h + a
27. ヒ → hi → h + i
28. フ → fu → f + u (historical hu)
29. ヘ → he → h + e
30. ホ → ho → h + o
M-row 31. マ → ma → m + a
32. ミ → mi → m + i
33. ム → mu → m + u
34. メ → me → m + e
35. モ → mo → m + o
Y-row 36. ヤ → ya → y + a
37. ユ → yu → y + u
38. ヨ → yo → y + o
R-row 39. ラ → ra → r + a
40. リ → ri → r + i
41. ル → ru → r + u
42. レ → re → r + e
43. ロ → ro → r + o
W-row + syllabic nasal 44. ワ → wa → w + a
45. ヲ → (w)o → w + o (particle “o”)
46. ン → n → n (syllabic nasal)
System Notes
- Katakana functions the same as Hiragana for phonetics, but visually distinct, used for:
- Loanwords
- Onomatopoeia
- Foreign names
- Scientific/technical terms
- Dakuten/Handakuten and yōon apply identically:
- がぎぐげご → g-row
- ざじずぜぞ → z/j-row
- だぢづでど → d-row
- ばびぶべぼ / ぱぴぷぺぽ → b/p rows
- Small ャ/ュ/ョ after i-row kana for contracted syllables.
- Small ッ for consonant gemination.
Sample Core Kanji Set (first 20)
1. 日
- Meaning: sun, day
- Radical: 日 (#72)
- On’yomi: ニチ (nichi) → n + i + ch + i
- Kun’yomi: ひ (hi) → h + i
2. 月
- Meaning: moon, month
- Radical: 月 (#74)
- On’yomi: ゲツ (getsu) → g + e + ts + u
- Kun’yomi: つき (tsuki) → t + s + u + k + i
3. 山
- Meaning: mountain
- Radical: 山 (#46)
- On’yomi: サン (san) → s + a + n
- Kun’yomi: やま (yama) → y + a + m + a
4. 川
- Meaning: river
- Radical: 川 (#47)
- On’yomi: セン (sen) → s + e + n
- Kun’yomi: かわ (kawa) → k + a + w + a
5. 水
- Meaning: water
- Radical: 水 (#85)
- On’yomi: スイ (sui) → s + u + i
- Kun’yomi: みず (mizu) → m + i + z + u
6. 火
- Meaning: fire
- Radical: 火 (#86)
- On’yomi: カ (ka) → k + a
- Kun’yomi: ひ (hi) → h + i
7. 木
- Meaning: tree, wood
- Radical: 木 (#75)
- On’yomi: モク (moku) → m + o + k + u
- Kun’yomi: き (ki) → k + i
8. 金
- Meaning: gold, metal
- Radical: 金 (#167)
- On’yomi: キン (kin) → k + i + n
- Kun’yomi: かね (kane) → k + a + n + e
9. 土
- Meaning: earth, soil
- Radical: 土 (#32)
- On’yomi: ド (do) → d + o
- Kun’yomi: つち (tsuchi) → t + s + u + ch + i
10. 空
- Meaning: sky, empty
- Radical: 宀 (#40)
- On’yomi: クウ (kuu) → k + u + u
- Kun’yomi: そら (sora) → s + o + r + a
11. 田
- Meaning: rice field
- Radical: 田 (#102)
- On’yomi: デン (den) → d + e + n
- Kun’yomi: た (ta) → t + a
12. 石
- Meaning: stone
- Radical: 石 (#112)
- On’yomi: セキ (seki) → s + e + k + i
- Kun’yomi: いし (ishi) → i + sh + i
13. 花
- Meaning: flower
- Radical: 艹 (grass, #140)
- On’yomi: カ (ka) → k + a
- Kun’yomi: はな (hana) → h + a + n + a
14. 草
- Meaning: grass
- Radical: 艹 (#140)
- On’yomi: ソウ (sou) → s + o + u
- Kun’yomi: くさ (kusa) → k + u + s + a
15. 虫
- Meaning: insect
- Radical: 虫 (#142)
- On’yomi: チュウ (chuu) → ch + u + u
- Kun’yomi: むし (mushi) → m + u + sh + i
16. 魚
- Meaning: fish
- Radical: 魚 (#195)
- On’yomi: ギョ (gyo) → g + y + o
- Kun’yomi: さかな (sakana) → s + a + k + a + n + a
17. 鳥
- Meaning: bird
- Radical: 鳥 (#196)
- On’yomi: チョウ (chou) → ch + o + u
- Kun’yomi: とり (tori) → t + o + r + i
18. 雨
- Meaning: rain
- Radical: 雨 (#173)
- On’yomi: ウ (u) → u
- Kun’yomi: あめ (ame) → a + m + e
19. 人
- Meaning: person
- Radical: 人 (#9)
- On’yomi: ジン (jin) → j + i + n
- Kun’yomi: ひと (hito) → h + i + t + o
20. 名
- Meaning: name
- Radical: 口 (#30)
- On’yomi: メイ (mei) → m + e + i
- Kun’yomi: な (na) → n + a