Re: [edict-jmdict] Chinese names within headwords

[Marcus Richert <superbrightfuture@*********>]

What about mahjong terms that are of Japanese origin but commonly written
in katakana?

I think that the majority of them are usually written using the kanji, and
that it's only a mahjong convention to use katakana rather than hiragana
when noting the reading since most of the terms are actually Chinese. I
don't think they are necessary as nokanji (unless there's a clear case for
them being used in katakana form without the kanji) and I don't think
jmdict should necessarily follow this convention. Daijs, daijr and nikk all
seem to use katakana only for those words/parts of a word that have a
Chinese origin: 一気通貫 is いっきつうかん in hiragana, 安全牌 is あんぜんパイ, with only パイ
given in katakana, 上家 in nikk is given as かみチャ, etc.


On Mon, Oct 1, 2012 at 8:18 PM, Jim Breen <jimbreen@gmail.com> wrote:

> **
>
>
> Raising the kana usage when Chinese placenames are used within
> the headwords of entries.
>
> At present we are adopting the common Japanese practice of
> using katakana to record the reading of Chinese names, e.g.
> ペキン for 北京, ナンキン for 南京, etc. What is less clear
> is what is used when the name appears in something like
> 南京虫, 南京焼き, etc. A few use ナンキン (南京七竈, 南京鼠)
> but most have なんきん. Most of the references use ナンキン.
>
> I think to be consistent ナンキン, シャンハイ, etc. should be used
> throughout.
>
> Any views on this?
>
> Jim
>
> --
> Jim Breen
> Adjunct Snr Research Fellow, Japanese Studies Centre, Monash University
>  
>