Why is 大きい written おおきい not おうきい?
I’d say it’s because the おお reading of 大 is kun’yomi (Japanese origin). It if was an on’yomi reading (Chinese origin) then it would be おう.
Other examples that come to mind:
Word | Spelling | Meaning |
---|---|---|
氷 | こおり | ice |
お姉さん | おねえさん | older sister |
通り | とおり | avenue |
覆う | おおう | to cover, conceal |
頬 | ほお | cheek |
Welp, TIL. This forum is so helpful sometimes. Thanks a tons!
Main reason why: etymology.
Basically, in 1946 there was a massive overhaul of how things were written in kana, to make them much more consistent (and, for that matter, intuitive). Stuff that used to be written as ~おふ, ~あう or ~あふ are now written as ~おう, while stuff that used to be written as ~おほ or ~おを became ~おお.
You can see the evidence of this overhaul in 頬 ほお cheek
, which still has ほほ listed as a reading (in jisho at least)
Though the modern ほほ would be pronounced as you see it, “hoho” as opposed to the old version that would have been the same as the ほお pronunciation.
おを これは何?
owo
Well, it wasn’t just things that are おお in modern Japanese, を used to be used for the modern お in other places as well.
The word おとめ was をとめ for instance.
The restriction of を to the particle is a modern change.
I apologize for having you take me seriously.
But thanks for the info.
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