Editing Old Japanese (section)

===Syllables===
In {{tlit|ja|man'yōgana}}, each Old Japanese syllable was represented by a Chinese character. Although any of several characters could be used for a given syllable, a careful analysis reveals that 88 syllables were distinguished in early Old Japanese, typified by the ''Kojiki'' songs:{{sfn|Miyake|2003|pp=49–51}}{{sfn|Frellesvig|2010|pp=26–27}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Syllables in early Old Japanese, with common [[man'yōgana]]{{efn|These are the characters most used in the ''Kojiki'' songs, except for ''go<sub>1</sub>'' and ''zo<sub>1</sub>'' (which do not occur in the ''Kojiki'') from the ''Man'yōshū''.}}
|-
| {{tlit|ojp|a}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|阿}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ka}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|加,迦}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ga}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|賀}}
| {{tlit|ojp|sa}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|佐}}
| {{tlit|ojp|za}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|邪}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ta}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|多}}
| {{tlit|ojp|da}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|陀}}
| {{tlit|ojp|na}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|那}}
| {{tlit|ojp|pa}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|波}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ba}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|婆}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ma}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|麻}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ya}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|夜}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ra}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|良}}
| {{tlit|ojp|wa}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|和}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|i}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|伊}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ki<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|岐}}
| {{tlit|ojp|gi<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|芸}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|si}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|斯,志}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|zi}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|士}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|ti}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|知}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|di}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|遅}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|ni}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|爾,迩}}
| {{tlit|ojp|pi<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|比}}
| {{tlit|ojp|bi<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|毘}}
| {{tlit|ojp|mi<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|美}}
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:#ccc" |
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|ri}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|理}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|wi}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|韋}}
|-
| {{tlit|ojp|ki<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|紀}}
| {{tlit|ojp|gi<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|疑}}
| {{tlit|ojp|pi<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|斐}}
| {{tlit|ojp|bi<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|備}}
| {{tlit|ojp|mi<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|微}}
|-
| {{tlit|ojp|u}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|宇}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ku}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|久}}
| {{tlit|ojp|gu}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|具}}
| {{tlit|ojp|su}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|須}}
| {{tlit|ojp|zu}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|受}}
| {{tlit|ojp|tu}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|都}}
| {{tlit|ojp|du}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|豆}}
| {{tlit|ojp|nu}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|奴}}
| {{tlit|ojp|pu}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|布}}
| {{tlit|ojp|bu}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|夫}}
| {{tlit|ojp|mu}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|牟}}
| {{tlit|ojp|yu}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|由}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ru}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|流}}
| style="background-color:#ccc" |
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|e}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|亜}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ke<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|祁}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ge<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|牙}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|se}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|勢,世}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|ze}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|是}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|te}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|弖}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|de}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|傅}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|ne}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|泥}}
| {{tlit|ojp|pe<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|弊}}
| {{tlit|ojp|be<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|辨}}
| {{tlit|ojp|me<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|賣}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|ye}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|延}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|re}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|禮}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|we}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|恵}}
|-
| {{tlit|ojp|ke<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|気}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ge<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|宜}}
| {{tlit|ojp|pe<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|閇}}
| {{tlit|ojp|be<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|倍}}
| {{tlit|ojp|me<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|米}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|o}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|淤,意}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ko<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|古}}
| {{tlit|ojp|go<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|胡,呉}}
| {{tlit|ojp|so<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|蘇}}
| {{tlit|ojp|zo<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|俗,蘇}}
| {{tlit|ojp|to<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|斗}}
| {{tlit|ojp|do<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|度}}
| {{tlit|ojp|no<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|怒}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|po}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|富,本}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|bo}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|煩}}
| {{tlit|ojp|mo<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|毛}}
| {{tlit|ojp|yo<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|用}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ro<sub>1</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|漏,路}}
| rowspan="2" | {{tlit|ojp|wo}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|袁,遠}}
|-
| {{tlit|ojp|ko<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|許}}
| {{tlit|ojp|go<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|碁}}
| {{tlit|ojp|so<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|曾}}
| {{tlit|ojp|zo<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|叙}}
| {{tlit|ojp|to<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|登}}
| {{tlit|ojp|do<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|杼}}
| {{tlit|ojp|no<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|能}}
| {{tlit|ojp|mo<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|母}}
| {{tlit|ojp|yo<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|余,與}}
| {{tlit|ojp|ro<sub>2</sub>}} {{lang|ojp-Hani|呂}}
|}

As in later forms of Japanese, the system has gaps where ''yi'' and ''wu'' might be expected. [[Shinkichi Hashimoto]] discovered in 1917 that many syllables that have a modern ''i'', ''e'' or ''o'' occurred in two forms, termed types {{nihongo|''A''|甲|kō}} and {{nihongo|''B''|乙|otsu}}.{{sfn|Miyake|2003|pp=49–51}}{{sfn|Frellesvig|2010|pp=28–29}}
These are denoted by subscripts 1 and 2 respectively in the above table. The syllables ''mo<sub>1</sub>'' and ''mo<sub>2</sub>'' are not distinguished in the slightly later ''Nihon Shoki'' and ''Man'yōshū'', reducing the syllable count to 87.{{sfn|Miyake|2003|p=51}}{{sfn|Frellesvig|2010|p=30}}
Some authors also believe that two forms of ''po'' were distinguished in the ''Kojiki''.{{sfn|Miyake|2003|p=61}}
All of these pairs had merged in the Early Middle Japanese of the Heian period.{{sfn|Miyake|2003|p=84}}{{sfn|Frellesvig|2010|p=26}}

The consonants ''g'', ''z'', ''d'', ''b'' and ''r'' did not occur at the start of a word.{{sfn|Frellesvig|2010|p=34}}
Conversely, syllables consisting of a single vowel were restricted to word-initial position, with a few exceptions such as {{tlit|ojp|kai}} 'oar', {{tlit|ojp|ko<sub>2</sub>i}} 'to lie down', {{tlit|ojp|kui}} 'to regret' (with conclusive {{tlit|ojp|kuyu}}), {{tlit|ojp|oi}} 'to age' and {{tlit|ojp|uuru}}, the adnominal form of the verb {{tlit|ojp|uwe}} 'to plant'.{{sfn|Frellesvig|2010|p=39}}{{sfn|Vovin|2020|pp=48–50}} [[Alexander Vovin]] argues that the non-initial syllables ''i'' and ''u'' in these cases should be read as Old Japanese syllables ''yi'' and ''wu''.{{sfn|Vovin|2020|pp=49–54}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"
|+ Frequencies of Old Japanese syllables in the ''Man'yōshū''{{sfn|Frellesvig|Horn|2023}}
!
! ''-''
! ''k-''
! ''g-''
! ''s-''
! ''z-''
! ''t-''
! ''d-''
! ''n-''
! ''p-''
! ''b-''
! ''m-''
! ''y-''
! ''r-''
! ''w-''
|-
! style="text-align: left;" | ''-a''
| <!-- a --> 4612
| <!-- ka --> 7616
| <!-- ga --> 3358
| <!-- sa --> 3473
| <!-- za --> 255
| <!-- ta --> 5212
| <!-- da --> 734
| <!-- na --> 5891
| <!-- pa --> 6450
| <!-- ba --> 2195
| <!-- ma --> 6018
| <!-- ya --> 3184
| <!-- ra --> 4213
| <!-- wa --> 2581
|-
! ''-i<sub>1</sub>''
| rowspan="2" | <!-- i --> 3679
| <!-- ki1 --> 5771
| <!-- gi1 --> 762
| rowspan="2" | <!-- si --> 8070
| rowspan="2" | <!-- zi --> 350
| rowspan="2" | <!-- ti --> 2195
| rowspan="2" | <!-- di --> 335
| rowspan="2" | <!-- ni --> 7101
| <!-- pi1 --> 3489
| <!-- bi1 --> 585
| <!-- mi1 --> 5818
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:#ccc" |
| rowspan="2" | <!-- ri --> 3901
| rowspan="2" | <!-- wi --> 270
|-
! ''-i<sub>2</sub>''
| <!-- ki2 --> 690
| <!-- gi2 --> 404
| <!-- pi2 --> 756
| <!-- bi2 --> 140
| <!-- mi2 --> 589
|-
! style="text-align: left;" | ''-u''
| <!-- u --> 1556
| <!-- ku --> 4855
| <!-- gu --> 444
| <!-- su --> 2507
| <!-- zu --> 904
| <!-- tu --> 4417
| <!-- du --> 1065
| <!-- nu --> 1449
| <!-- pu --> 2905
| <!-- bu --> 389
| <!-- mu --> 2692
| <!-- yu --> 2190
| <!-- ru --> 3656
| style="background-color:#ccc" |
|-
! ''-e<sub>1</sub>''
| rowspan="2" | <!-- e --> 45
| <!-- ke1 --> 1145
| <!-- ge1 --> 13
| rowspan="2" | <!-- se --> 1220
| rowspan="2" | <!-- ze --> 210
| rowspan="2" | <!-- te --> 2831
| rowspan="2" | <!-- de --> 727
| rowspan="2" | <!-- ne --> 1425
| <!-- pe1 --> 1101
| <!-- be1 --> 203
| <!-- me1 --> 318
| rowspan="2" | <!-- ye --> 644
| rowspan="2" | <!-- re --> 2598
| rowspan="2" | <!-- we --> 342
|-
! ''-e<sub>2</sub>''
| <!-- ke2 --> 1011
| <!-- ge2 --> 489
| <!-- pe2 --> 959
| <!-- be2 --> 287
| <!-- me2 --> 1406
|-
! ''-o<sub>1</sub>''
| rowspan="2" | <!-- o --> 2441
| <!-- ko1 --> 1995
| <!-- go1 --> 138
| <!-- so1 --> 536
| <!-- zo1 --> 8
| <!-- to1 --> 485
| <!-- do1 --> 269
| <!-- no1 --> 583
| rowspan="2" | <!-- po --> 1870
| rowspan="2" | <!-- bo --> 75
| rowspan="2" | <!-- mo --> 7788
| <!-- yo1 --> 871
| <!-- ro1 --> 215
| rowspan="2" | <!-- wo --> 3657
|-
! ''-o<sub>2</sub>''
| <!-- ko2 --> 3407
| <!-- go2 --> 436
| <!-- so2 --> 1206
| <!-- zo2 --> 122
| <!-- to2 --> 5848
| <!-- do2 --> 882
| <!-- no2 --> 9618
| <!-- yo2 --> 1312
| <!-- ro2 --> 1177
|}

The rare vowel {{tlit|ojp|i<sub>2</sub>}} almost always occurred at the end of a morpheme.
Most occurrences of {{tlit|ojp|e<sub>1</sub>}}, {{tlit|ojp|e<sub>2</sub>}} and {{tlit|ojp|o<sub>1</sub>}} were also at the end of a morpheme.{{sfn|Frellesvig|2010|p=49}}

The {{tlit|ja|mokkan}} typically did not distinguish voiced from voiceless consonants, and wrote some syllables with characters that had fewer strokes and were based on older Chinese pronunciations imported via the Korean peninsula.
For example,
* {{tlit|ojp|ki<sub>1</sub>}} was written with the character {{lang|zh|支}}, pronounced *{{IPA|kje}} in [[Old Chinese]] and {{tlit|ltc|tsye}} in Middle Chinese, and
* {{tlit|ojp|to<sub>2</sub>}} was written with the character {{lang|zh|止}}, pronounced *{{IPA|tjəʔ}} in Old Chinese and {{tlit|ltc|tsyi}} in Middle Chinese.{{sfn|Inukai|2024|pp=466–468}}