Key takeaways:
- Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean share a deep connection through their writing systems and have many shared characters and words.
- By understanding the principles of middle Chinese sound shifts, it is possible to convert and predict the pronunciation of characters between these three languages.
- This approach speeds up the language learning process by using existing knowledge of one language to aid in learning the others.
Middle Chinese Influence #
Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean are all heavily influenced by middle Chinese, an older form of Chinese used from the 4th to the 12th century CE. systematically evolved sound shifts can be used to derive rules for converting between these languages.
Sounds are produced when air flows from your lungs and out your body through your mouth and nose. Consonants are those sounds which are produced when the flow of air is obstructed in some way.
Initial Consonants #
Initial consonants can be divided into six groups based on the place or manner of articulation. Each group behaves like a natural family of sounds, and each language has specific initial consonants in these groups.
Final Consonants #
Final consonants consist of seven groups that directly correspond to one final consonant in Middle Chinese. These groups can be divided into three types: nasal, non-nasal, and no final consonant at all.
CJK Cheat Code System #
This system is derived from research and analysis of the 808 most commonly used characters shared among Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean. It provides explicit rules and patterns for predicting and converting the pronunciation of characters between these three languages.
Our system focuses on the initial consonant and the final consonant.
Limitations and Vowels #
The system is optimized for the 808 shared characters but may still be accurate for characters outside this group. There are no definitive principles for the vowels in this system yet, as vowels may interact with Middle Chinese tones, making it difficult to find patterns.
I think the vowels actually interact with the Middle Chinese tones which is why it's difficult to find the patterns.
Summary for: Youtube