Korean/Tamil/Hindi (was Re: Query on var.nabheda)

[Dan Lusthaus]

>Well, what I meant by "not complete" was
>that, to the best of my knowledge,
>the Japanese language is not completely
>represented in writing using a phonetic
>alphabet.

Every Japanese sound could be represented by the alphabet, and Japanese are
becoming increasingly illiterate about the kanji (Chinese characters). They
are not retained out of necessity, but for other reasons. The situation in
Korea today is that the more literate adults have learned Chinese
characters as well as the alphabet, and the more literate the literature,
the more Chinese is included. The Japanese situation is getting to be like
that - most Japanese school children resent having to learn kanji, and grow
to adulthood not being very good at them.

You are right, we are getting off the track from Indology.

Dan Lusthaus
Flordia State University