A Proposal for Romanization of Japanese extending Hepburn System

A Proposal for Romanization of Japanese
extending Hepburn System

Written on Jun 10th, 2012 by Masahiko Satoh ( )
Refer to the PDF version.

Introduction

This document describes how to spell Japanese language with Roman Letters. This is written as a reference to revise ISO 3602.

Syllabary 1

Syllabary 1 is used to spell ordinary Japanese documents.

Syllabary 1 for native words
	a		e		i		o		u			a		i		o		u
	a	ア	e	エ	i	イ	o	オ	u	ウ
b	ba	バ	be	ベ	bi	ビ	bo	ボ	bu	ブ	by	bya	ビャ			byo	ビョ	byu	ビュ
											ch	cha	チャ	chi	チ	cho	チョ	chu	チュ
d	da	ダ	de	デ			do	ド
f									fu	フ
g	ga	ガ	ge	ゲ	gi	ギ	go	ゴ	gu	グ	gy	gya	ギャ			gyo	ギョ	gyu	ギュ
h	ha	ハ	he	ヘ	hi	ヒ	ho	ホ			hy	hya	ヒャ			hyo	ヒョ	hyu	ヒュ	h	ー	(*1)
											j	ja	ジャ	ji	ジ	jo	ジョ	ju	ジュ
k	ka	カ	ke	ケ	ki	キ	ko	コ	ku	ク	ky	kya	キャ			kyo	キョ	kyu	キュ
m	ma	マ	me	メ	mi	ミ	mo	モ	mu	ム	my	mya	ミャ			myo	ミョ	myu	ミュ
n	na	ナ	ne	ネ	ni	ニ	no	ノ	nu	ヌ	ny	nya	ニャ			nyo	ニョ	nyu	ニュ	n	ン	(*2)
p	pa	パ	pe	ペ	pi	ピ	po	ポ	pu	プ	py	pya	ピャ			pyo	ピョ	pyu	ピュ
q																				q	ッ	(*3)
r	ra	ラ	re	レ	ri	リ	ro	ロ	ru	ル	ry	rya	リャ			ryo	リョ	ryu	リュ
s	sa	サ	se	セ			so	ソ	su	ス
											sh	sha	シャ	shi	シ	sho	ショ	shu	シュ
t	ta	タ	te	テ			to	ト
ts									tsu	ツ
w	wa	ワ									y	ya	ヤ			yo	ヨ	yu	ユ
z	za	ザ	ze	ゼ			zo	ゾ	zu	ズ

(*1) Prolonged Vowels

The letter "h" is used to spell prolonged vowels. It is usually replaced with the circumflex or the macron. They are omitted in the Japanese passport guideline. Prolonged vowels are sometimes spelled as double vowels or follow Japanese orthography of Kana script.

ユーラクチョー: Yuhrakuchoh → Yûrakuchô, Yūrakuchō (Yurakucho)
ユウラクチョウ: Yuurakuchou → Yuhrakuchoh → Yûrakuchô (Yurakucho)

(*2) The Nasal Syllable

The letter "n" is used to spell the nasal syllable. It may be replaced with the letter "m" before the letters "b", "m", and "p".

カンダ: Kanda
シンバシ: Shinbashi, Shimbashi

(*3) The Glottal Stop

The leter "q" is used to spell the glottal stop. When the glottal stop is located before a consonant, it usually changes to a prolonged consonant. The letter "q" before a consonant may be replaced with the first letter of double consonants such as "kk", "pp", "ss" and "tt". Exceptionally, it may be replaced with "t" before the consonant "ch".

ニッポリ: Niqpori → Nippori
ニッシン: Niqshin → Nisshin
エッチュージマ: Eqchuhjima → Etchuhjima → Etchûjima

When a vowel or a semivowel needs to start a new syllable at the middle of a word, the glottal stop letter "q" may be inserted to avoid ambiguity. Vowels is "a", "e", "i", "o", and "u". Semivowels are "w" and "y". The letter "q" is usually replaced with the apostrophe. It is omitted in the Japanese passport guideline.

カンエツ: Kanqetsu → Kan'etsu (Kanetsu)
オーオカ: Ohqoka → Oh'oka (Ohoka) → Ôoka

When the following exceptional sequences appear, the letter "q" is literally used as the glottal stop.

アッ: Aq (at the end of a word)
バッハ: Baqha (before the letter "h". "Bahha" is interpreted as "Bâha".)
アッオ: Aqqo → Aq'o ("qq" or "q'" is located before a vowel or a semivowel.)

Syllabary 2

Syllabary 2 is used to spell Japanese documents including loanwords. This syllabary complements most of the blank cells of Syllabary 1.

Syllabary 2 for loanwords
	a		e		i		o		u			a	e		i	o		u
											ch	+	che	チェ	+	+		+
d	+		+		di	ディ	+		du	ドゥ	dy							dyu	デュ
f	fa	ファ	fe	フェ	fi	フィ	fo	フォ	+		fy					fyo	フョ	fyu	フュ
gw	gwa	グァ	gwe	グェ	gwi	グィ	gwo	グォ
h	+		+		+		+				hy	+	hye	ヒェ		+		+
											j	+	je	ジェ	+	+		+
k	+		+		+		+		+		ky	+	kye	キェ		+		+
kw	kwa	クァ	kwe	クェ	kwi	クィ	kwo	クォ
n	+		+		+		+		+		ny	+	nye	ニェ		+		+
s	+		+		si	スィ	+		+
											sh	+	she	シェ	+	+		+
t	+		+		ti	ティ	+		tu	トゥ	ty							tyu	テュ
ts	tsa	ツァ	tse	ツェ	tsi	ツィ	tso	ツォ	+
v	va	ヴァ	ve	ヴェ	vi	ヴィ	vo	ヴォ	vu	ヴ	vy					vyo	ヴョ	vyu	ヴュ
w	+		we	ウェ	wi	ウィ	wo	ウォ			y	+	ye	イェ		+		+
z	+		+		zi	ズィ	+		+

The cells marked with "+" are already defined in Syllabary 1.
The breve may be used for transliteration. For example, "ドゥ, テュ, ウォ" are spelled as "dŏu, tĕyu, ŭo".

Syllabary 3

Syllabary 3 may be used to spell classic Japanese documents and grammatical documents. This syllabary represents the real sound of the Kana script when it was invented.

Syllabary 3 for classic words
	a		e		i		o		u			a		e	o		u
d	+		+		* di	ヂ	+		* du	ヅ	dy	dya	ヂャ		dyo	ヂョ	* dyu	ヂュ	(*1)
gw	* gwa	グヮ	*		*		*												(*2)
h	+		+		+		+		hu	フ	hy	+		*	+		+
kw	* kwa	クヮ	*		*		*												(*2)
s	+		+		* si	シ	+		+		sy	sya	シャ		syo	ショ	syu	シュ	(*3)
t	+		+		* ti	チ	+		* tu	ツ	ty	tya	チャ		tyo	チョ	* tyu	チュ	(*3)
w	+		* we	ヱ	* wi	ヰ	* wo	ヲ			y	+		*	+		+		(*2)
z	+		+		* zi	ジ	+		+		zy	zya	ジャ		zyo	ジョ	zyu	ジュ	(*3)

The cells marked with "+" or "*" are already defined in Syllabary 1 or 2 respectively.
(*1) "ヂ, ヅ, ヂャ, ヂョ, ヂュ" are spelled as "ji, zu, ja, jo, ju" for modern words, and may be spelled as "dji, dzu, dja, djo, dju" for transliteration.
(*2) "グヮ, クヮ, ヱ, ヰ" are not used but "ヲ" is spelled as "o" for modern words.
(*3) "シ, チ, ツ, チュ, ジ" are defined as "shi, chi, tsu, chu, ji" in Syllabary 1.

Appendices

Consonants
	labial		alveolar		post- alveolar		palatal	velar		glottal
	VL	V	VL	V	VL	V	V	VL	V	VL
plosive	p	b	t	d				k	g	q
affricate			ts		ch
fricative	f	v	s	z	sh	j				h
nasal		m		n
tap and flap				r
approximant		w					y

VL: voiceless, V: voiced.

Vowels
	front	center	back
high	i		u
middle	e		o
low		a

*Kana* Syllabary and the Order
	a	i	u	e	o	ka	ki	ku	ke	ko	sa	shi	su	se	so	ta	chi	tsu	te	to	na	ni	nu	ne	no
Katakana	ア	イ	ウ	エ	オ	カ	キ	ク	ケ	コ	サ	シ	ス	セ	ソ	タ	チ	ツ	テ	ト	ナ	ニ	ヌ	ネ	ノ
Hiragana	あ	い	う	え	お	か	き	く	け	こ	さ	し	す	せ	そ	た	ち	つ	て	と	な	に	ぬ	ね	の
	ha	hi	fu	he	ho	ma	mi	mu	me	mo	ya		yu		yo	ra	ri	ru	re	ro	wa	wi		we	wo	n
Katakana	ハ	ヒ	フ	ヘ	ホ	マ	ミ	ム	メ	モ	ヤ		ユ		ヨ	ラ	リ	ル	レ	ロ	ワ	ヰ		ヱ	ヲ	ン
Hiragana	は	ひ	ふ	へ	ほ	ま	み	む	め	も	や		ゆ		よ	ら	り	る	れ	ろ	わ	ゐ		ゑ	を	ん

References

Rômaji no Tsuzurikata
(http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/nc/k19541209001/k19541209001.html)
Gairaigo no Hyôki
(http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/nc/k19910628002/k19910628002.html)

Sep. 2nd, 2016: Modified the explanation on the glottal stop letter 'q' and Syllabary 3.
Nov. 12th, 2017: Modified the explanation on Syllabary 3 and the table of consonants.
Nov. 18th, 2017: Appended the description on the breve to Syllabary 2.