Re: Questions about Japanese historical phonology.

On Aug 25, 2004, at 9:41 PM, Ben Poplawski wrote:
> On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 12:12:16 +0300, Isaac A. Penzev <isaacp@...>
> wrote:
>> Well, synchronicly that is simple:
>> -tsu, -ru, -u (older -fu) > -tta
>> -mu, -bu, -nu > -nda
>> -ku > -ita
>> -gu > -ida
>> -eru, iru > -eta, -ita.
> With the velars, it's [-i:ta] and [-i:da] -- long vowels.
> Hmm. I learned those forms as the -te forms. The plain past -ta isn't
> used
> much in my experience, especially by gaijin. ;) And the -te forms are
> used a whole helluva lot either way.
> I learned it in some sort of poem:
> utsurutte,
> nubumunde,
> kuiite,
> guiide,
> sushite.
When i took Japanese we were taught that in a similar poem, set to the
tune of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town":

u tsu ru - tte,
mu bu nu - nde!
ku - ite,
gu - ide,
su - shite;
kuru - kite
suru - shite,
te-fômu!

"te-fômu" being "'te'-form", of course.


-Stephen (Steg)
  "the main purpose of the pyramid is to say
   'my unique pyramid is sky high and made of white marble.
   i do not share it with anyone'."
      ~ andrew nowicki