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Subject: Re: 日本
From: TAKASUGI Shinji (ts
sf.airnet.ne.jp)
Date: Tue, 18 May 2004 16:05:44 GMT
References: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
> Well, according to Bartleby.com: "... The consonant clusters in the word were not pronounceable in Old Japanese, so the form was simplified to Nip-pon-gu ..."
It is "Nip-pon-koku."
> So, from where does Nipon come?
It seems to me "Nit-pon" changed to two forms, "Nippon" and "Nit-Φon." Since the geminate (促音) of "Φ" was not allowed, the latter became "NiΦon," and finally "Nihon." I doubt that "Nipon" has ever existed.
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