Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!srg!doconnor From: doconnor@titania.srg.UUCP (Dennis O'Connor x4982 room 6-230N) Newsgroups: comp.std.c++ Subject: Re: ISO Latin 1? (was Re: design by committee) Message-ID: Date: 5 Dec 90 17:43:09 GMT References: <1016@zinn.MV.COM> <1990Nov23.211727.2802@zoo.toronto.edu> <1990Nov28.164154.5718@zoo.toronto.edu> Sender: news@srg.UUCP Organization: Some Lines: 23 In-reply-to: henry@zoo.toronto.edu's message of 28 Nov 90 16:41:54 GMT With respect to Japanese character sets : There are four character sets used in Japan : Kanji : 2000+ common characters, plus more uncommon ones. Most adults can read and write Kanji. Every "character" stands for a complete word or concept. Hiragana (sp?) : about 150 characters, I think. Used to phonetically spell out words that are native to the Japanese language. Katakana : again, about 150 characters. Used to phonetically spell out words that have been imported into Japanese from foriegn languages. Most young children know the two kana character sets, as do most adults of course. Once you've learned to write in katakana and hiragana you can write like a third grader. Few adult Japanese would wish to. Kanji symbols are derived the Chinese alphabet. Katakana and Hiragana are simplifications of Kanji symbols. "Romanji" : the Roman alphabet. I'm not sure when, who, et cetera.