The Japanese Language Through Time (2nd Edition)

This book is a reference work for those interested in studying the history of Japanese words and sounds. Chapter 1 traces the phonetic system of the language back to its prehistoric beginnings. Chapter 2 comprises an extensive study of the development of voicing and nasality as distinctive features of the consonants. Chapter 3 explains the development of several interrelated processes of compression and assimilation in verb and adjective forms. Chapter 4 is a comprehensive study of Japanese accent. And the last three chapters constitute a succinct etymological dictionary, supported by a thorough reconstruction of the morphological structures found in the principal parts of speech. Readings from the text have been effectively used in courses in the history of the Japanese language.