Quote:
Originally Posted by duo797
Actually, it was CHINESE that was written using only Hanzi before, and in the times when stories like the Tales of Genji were written, male intellectuals wrote using Chinese, not Japanese.
|
This does not refute the assertion that Japanese used to be written using only kanji with no kana. In fact, it is true that Japanese used to only be written with kanji. For example, the Kojiki was written entirely with kanji, but in 上代日本語.
Here is the Kojiki (with other texts). It is in Japanese, believe it or not:
http://www.ceres.dti.ne.jp/~alex-x/wakan/menu-w.html
Quote:
If Japanese was EVER written using only Kanji, it was almost immediately after they were introduced to Hanzi (Kanji)
|
Well, this isn't true, either. Kanji were introduced to Japan in like the first century AD, but the Kojiki was written in the 9th century AD.
Kanji - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia