The system was imposed by Japan at the time and used in a few dictionaries, as well as textbooks. The Taiwanese–Japanese Dictionary, published in 1931–32, is an example.[1] It uses various signs and diacritics to identify sounds that do not exist in Japanese. The system is chiefly built for the Amoy dialect of Hokkien spoken in Taiwan, with some consideration for the Quanzhou and Zhangzhou dialects of Hokkien also spoken in Taiwan as well, which descendant speakers of all three of the historical major dialects of Hokkien thrived, developed, and intermixed in Taiwan for centuries producing modern Taiwanese Hokkien and its own specific regional dialects throughout the island (Formosa) and nearby smaller islands (e.g. Pescadores).
Through the system, the Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan aimed to help Taiwanese people learn the Japanese language, as well as help Japanese people learn the Taiwanese language. Linguistically speaking, however, the syllabary system was cumbersome for a language that has phonology far more complicated than Japanese. After Japanese administration ended, the system soon became obsolete. Now, only a few scholars, such as those who study the aforementioned dictionary, learn Taiwanese kana.
The system underwent modification over time. This article is mainly about the last edition, used from roughly 1931.
Mapped sounds are mostly similar to katakana in Japanese, with the kana ヤ, ユ, ヨ, ワ, ヰ, and ヱ not used. Each syllable is written with two or three kana (with a few exceptions). Notable differences include:
There are six vowels in Taiwanese: ア[a], イ[i], ウ[u], エ[e], オ[ɔ], ヲ[o]. The pronunciations of ウ, オ, and ヲ are different from Japanese (which are [ɯ],[o],and[(w)o] respectively.)
The vowel ヲ is pronounced [u] in the diphthongsヲア[ua] and ヲエ[ue], also their extensions such as ヲァイ[uai], ヲァッ[uat̚]. In some dialects ヲ may be pronounced [o] or [ɤ].
In syllables with a single vowel, the kana for the vowel is repeated, like the long vowels in Japanese. For example, カア[ka], キイ[ki], オオ[ɔ], ヲヲ[o].
The small kana ァ, ィ, ゥ, ェ, ォ, 𛅦 are defined as short vowels. They are used to represent the second vowel in the middle of a syllable, or a final glottal stop. For example, キァウ[kiau], キェㇰ for [kiɪk̚], キァゥ[kiauʔ].
There are two optional vowel kana for the Choân-chiu accent (Quanzhou dialect): ウ[ɯ] and オ[ə]. For example, クウ[kɯ], オ[kə], クゥヌ[kɯn].
The aspirated consonants[pʰ], [tʰ], [kʰ], [tsʰ]/[tɕʰ] are represented by adding an underdot to the kana. For example, ク̣ for [kʰu].
Final nasal consonants are written as ム[m], ヌ[n], ン[ŋ]. Note that ム, ヌ are pronounced [mu], [nu] when they are used as initials. For example, カヌ[kan], ヌヌ for [nun].
The syllabic consonant [ŋ̍] is spelt (u+)ン, for example クン [kŋ̍]. Note that [ŋ̍] without a preceding vowel is written as a single ン, not ウン or ンン.
The syllabic consonant [m̩] is spelt (u+)ム, for example フム[hm̩]. Note that [m̩] without a preceding vowel is written as a single ム, not ウム or ムム.
Initial [ŋ] is spelt as [ɡ] with a nasal tone sign. For example, ガア𚿰[ɡa˥˩], ガア𚿸[ŋa˥˩].
Final plosives (which have no audible release) are ㇷ゚[p̚], ッ[t̚], ㇰ[k̚], similar to the kana used in Ainu.
Final glottal stops[ʔ] are represented by the short-vowel small kana (ァ, ィ, ゥ, ェ, ォ, 𛅦) at the end. For example, カァ[kaʔ], カゥ[kauʔ].
When a text is written vertically, these signs are written on the right side of letters. Taiwanese kana is only attested in vertical orientation, so it is unknown where the signs would be placed if it were written horizontally.
Initial consonants [m], [n], [ŋ] are always written with nasal vowel tone signs, whereas [b], [l], [ɡ] are always with normal vowels. Note that [ŋ] and [ɡ] share the same initial kana.
It also requires the use of the combining overline and combining dot below with kana to represent overlined and underdotted kana (like so: チ̅, ツ̣). Font support for these small kana and for sensible rendering of these uncommon combining sequences is in practice limited; overlines are simulated in the tables above using markup.
Ogawa Naoyoshi, ed. (1931–1932). 臺日大辭典. 上卷 [Taiwanese-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese and Taiwanese Hokkien). Vol. 1. Taihoku: Governor-General of Taiwan.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
Ogawa Naoyoshi, ed. (1931–1932). 臺日大辭典. 下卷 [Taiwanese-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese and Taiwanese Hokkien). Vol. 2. Taihoku: Governor-General of Taiwan.
Ogawa Naoyoshi; Ang Ui-jin, eds. (1993) [1931–1932]. 臺日大辭典〈上卷〉 [Taiwanese-Japanese Dictionary]. 閩南語經典辭書彙編 (in Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese Hokkien). Vol. 1. 武陵. ISBN9573506211.
Ogawa Naoyoshi; Ang Ui-jin, eds. (1993) [1931–1932]. 臺日大辭典〈下卷〉 [Taiwanese-Japanese Dictionary]. 閩南語經典辭書彙編 (in Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese Hokkien). Vol. 2. 武陵. ISBN957350622X.
台語辭典(台日大辭典台語譯本)查詢 [Taiwanese Dictionary (translation of Taiwanese-Japanese Dictionary) search] (in Taiwanese Hokkien). Retrieved 6 April 2016.
Chun-Hui Chen (June 2002). 《訂正臺灣十五音字母詳解》 音系研究 [Phonetic study on The revised guide of 15 Taiwanese letters] (PDF) (Master's thesis) (in Chinese). National Sun Yat-sen University.
