View source for Yōon

{{short description|Feature of the Japanese language}}
{{Multiple issues|{{Expand Japanese|拗音|date=November 2023}}
{{underreferenced|date=December 2023}}}}
The {{nihongo||拗音 (ようおん)|'''yōon'''|lead=yes}}, also written as ''yōon'', is a feature of the [[Japanese language]] in which a [[mora (linguistics)|mora]] is formed with an added {{IPAblink|j}} sound, i.e., [[Palatalization (phonetics)|palatalized]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Handbook of Japanese Phonetics and Phonology|year=2015|author=Haruo Kubozono|publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG |isbn=978-1614512523|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8vFeCAAAQBAJ&q=y%C5%8Don}}</ref> or (more rarely in the modern language) with an added {{IPAblink|w}} sound, i.e. [[Labialization|labialized]].
''Yōon'' are represented in [[hiragana]] using a kana ending in ''i'', such as き (''ki'') or に (''ni''), plus a smaller version of one of the three ''y'' kana, ''ya'', ''yu'' or ''yo''. For example, 今日 (''kyō'', "today") is written きょう [{{transl|ja|italic=no|kʲoo}}], using a small version of the [[よ]] kana. Contrast this with 器用 (''kiyō'', "skillful"), which is written きよう [{{transl|ja|italic=no|kijoo}}], with a full-sized よ kana. In [[historical kana orthography]], ''yōon'' were not distinguished with the smaller kana, and had to be determined by context.
In earlier stages of Japanese, and in certain dialects, ''yōon'' can also be formed with the kana ''wa'', ''wi'', ''we'', and ''wo''; for example, くゎ/クヮ ''kwa'',　く<small>ゐ</small>/ク<small>ヰ</small> ''kwi'', く<small>ゑ</small>/ク<small>ヱ</small> ''kwe'',　く<small>を</small>/ク<small>ヲ</small> ''kwo''{{cn|date=November 2023}}.  Although obsolete in modern Japanese, ''kwa'' and ''kwi'' can still be found in several of the [[Ryukyuan languages]] today (e.g. [[Okinawan language|Okinawan]]), while ''kwe'' is formed with the digraph くぇ. ''Kwa'' also appears in the [[Kagoshima dialect]]. Instead of the kana き, these are formed with the kana for ''ku'', く/ク. Some older transliterations in English follow the earlier pronunciation, e.g. ''[[Kwaidan]]'', ''[[Kwannon]]'', and such ''yōon'' may appear in loanwords e.g. [[:ja:ムジカ・アンティクヮ・ケルン|ムジカ・アンティクヮ・ケルン]] "[[Musica Antiqua Köln]]". They were also used to [[:ja:広東語仮名|write Hakka]] in [[Taiwan under Japanese rule]].
==Table==
{| border="0" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto" |
|+ <big>'''Yōon (拗音)'''</big>
|- valign=top align="center"
|
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 1em" |
|-
|colspan=4 align=center|[[katakana]]
|- valign=top align="center"
|
! ャ ''ya''
! ュ ''yu''
! ョ ''yo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!キ ''ki''
|キャ ''kya''
|キュ ''kyu''
|キョ ''kyo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!シ ''shi''
|シャ ''sha''
|シュ ''shu''
|ショ ''sho''
|- valign=top align="center"
!チ ''chi''
|チャ ''cha''
|チュ ''chu''
|チョ ''cho''
|- valign=top align="center"
!ニ ''ni''
|ニャ ''nya''
|ニュ ''nyu''
|ニョ ''nyo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!ヒ ''hi''
|ヒャ ''hya''
|ヒュ ''hyu''
|ヒョ ''hyo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!ミ ''mi''
|ミャ ''mya''
|ミュ ''myu''
|ミョ ''myo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!リ ''ri''
|リャ ''rya''
|リュ ''ryu''
|リョ ''ryo''
|-
|colspan=4 align=center|[[dakuten]]
|- valign=top align="center"
!ギ ''gi''
|ギャ ''gya''
|ギュ ''gyu''
|ギョ ''gyo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!ジ ''ji''
|ジャ ''ja''
|ジュ ''ju''
|ジョ ''jo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!ヂ ''ji''
|ヂャ ''ja''
|ヂュ ''ju''
|ヂョ ''jo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!ビ ''bi''
|ビャ ''bya''
|ビュ ''byu''
|ビョ ''byo''
|-
|colspan=4 align=center|[[handakuten]]
|- valign=top align="center"
!ピ ''pi''
|ピャ ''pya''
|ピュ ''pyu''
|ピョ ''pyo''
|}
|
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 1em" |
|-
|colspan=4 align=center|[[hiragana]]
|- valign=top align="center"
|
! ゃ ''ya''
! ゅ ''yu''
! ょ ''yo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!き ''ki''
|きゃ ''kya''
|きゅ ''kyu''
|きょ ''kyo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!し ''shi''
|しゃ ''sha''
|しゅ ''shu''
|しょ ''sho''
|- valign=top align="center"
!ち ''chi''
|ちゃ ''cha''
|ちゅ ''chu''
|ちょ ''cho''
|- valign=top align="center"
!に ''ni''
|にゃ ''nya''
|にゅ ''nyu''
|にょ ''nyo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!ひ ''hi''
|ひゃ ''hya''
|ひゅ ''hyu''
|ひょ ''hyo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!み ''mi''
|みゃ ''mya''
|みゅ ''myu''
|みょ ''myo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!り ''ri''
|りゃ ''rya''
|りゅ ''ryu''
|りょ ''ryo''
|-
|colspan=4 align=center|[[dakuten]]
|- valign=top align="center"
!ぎ ''gi
|ぎゃ ''gya''
|ぎゅ ''gyu''
|ぎょ ''gyo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!じ ''ji''
|じゃ ''ja''
|じゅ ''ju''
|じょ ''jo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!ぢ ''ji''
|ぢゃ ''ja''
|ぢゅ ''ju''
|ぢょ ''jo''
|- valign=top align="center"
!び ''bi''
|びゃ ''bya''
|びゅ ''byu''
|びょ ''byo''
|-
|colspan=4 align=center|[[handakuten]]
|- valign=top align="center"
!ぴ ''pi''
|ぴゃ ''pya''
|ぴゅ ''pyu''
|ぴょ ''pyo''
|}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto" |
|+{{nihongo|合拗音|Gō Yōon|Closed Yōon}} – Obsolete
|-
! labialized k
|くゎ ''kwa''
|（く<span style="font-size: smaller;">ゐ</span><!--𛅐-->）''kwi''
|（く<span style="font-size: smaller;">ゑ</span><!--𛅥-->）''kwe''
|-
! labialized g
|ぐゎ ''gwa''
|（ぐ<span style="font-size: smaller;">ゐ</span>）''gwi''
|（ぐ<span style="font-size: smaller;">ゑ</span>）''gwe''
|}
==Other representations==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan=4|[[Japanese Braille|Braille]]
|-
| Yōon || Yōon + [[Dakuten]] || Yōon + [[Handakuten]] || -w-
|-
|{{Braille cell|type=image|4}}||{{Braille cell|type=image|45}}||{{Braille cell|type=image|46}}||{{Braille cell|type=image|26}}
|}
In [[Japanese Braille]], Yōon is indicated with one of the yōon, yōon+dakuten, or yōon+handakuten prefixes.
Unlike in kana, Braille yōon is prefixed to the -a/-u/-o morae, rather than appending ya, yu or yo to an -i kana, e.g. ''kyu'': きゅ - ki + yu '''→''' {{Braille cell|type=text|4}}{{Braille cell|type=text|146}} - yōon + ku. Likewise, the -w- morae are indicated by a prefix of the -a/-i/-e/-o morae, rather than an -u mora, e.g. くぁ / くゎ (kwa) = -w- + ka: {{Braille cell|type=text|26}}{{Braille cell|type=text|16}}.
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yoon}}
[[Category:Japanese phonology]]
[[Category:Kana]]
[[Category:Japanese writing system terms]]