A Comprehensive Study Of Mwo, Mo, Mye, Mey, Po, Pye, And Pey Syllables In The Eastern Old Japanese Dialects

Abstract

This paper presents the first comprehensive linguistic study of all phonographically attested examples of mwo, mö, mey, mye, po, pye, and pey syllables in the Eastern Old Japanese (EOJ) dialects. I analyze each EOJ province separately, and in doing so I present evidence for a variety of phonemic mergers in specific provinces, including *m.>/mo/, *m.y>*m.>/mo/, *p.y>*p.>/po/, *m.y>/me/ and *p.y>/pe/. Importantly, I offer a solution to the puzzle presented by the data from the Suruga and T.t.mi provinces. I also show how this study is the first step towards a clear understanding of the shared innovations that will help to give us a more accurate picture of the taxonomy of the eastern linguistic area of eighth century Japan.