How to Understand the Chapter Kana no koto in MOTOORI Norinaga's Kojikiden

Abstract

MOTOORI Norinaga discussed two types of man'yogana used in Kojiki, in the chapter Kana no koto in his Kojikiden vol. I. HASHIMOTO Shinkichi undervalued MOTOORI's Kana no koto. But in fact, MOTOORI had discovered the distinction between two types of man'yogana, and identified the phonological background of the two types. He had a knowledge of the phonology of Ancient Chinese, and could apply Inkyo (韻鏡 Yunjing) to the distinguishing of the two types of man'yogana. MOTOORI must have taken the phonology of Ancient Chinese into consideration during his work on man'yogana in Kana no koto.