Page:An Ainu-English-Japanese dictionary (including a grammar of the Ainu language).djvu/636

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78
AN AINU GRAMMAR.
letters pronunciation and remarks

sentence commences with this letter, but k often becomes g in composition. It should be noted however, that g is often aspirated as though is was gh or kh.

h has the sound of h in the word “house;” that is to say, it is always aspirated.
j Some words have something like the sound of j in them, e.g. machi, “wife”; unchi, “fire”; but these have always been written with ch because the tendency in Yezo is rather in the direction of ch than j.
k has the sound of k in the word “keep.” Sometimes, however, it is pronounced with a kind of aspirate as though it was kh.
m
n
p
r

[1]s
t
u
These letters are all pronounced as in English.
l
q
v
x
These letters are not needed in speaking or writing Ainu.
z something like the sound of z is heard in the word penzai, “a junk.” Compare also c.

None of the consonants b, c, d, f, g, h, r, w, or y, ever properly end a word, but k, m, n, p, s, t, and sh often do.


  1. As regards the letter s, however, it should be observed that in many cases it is difficult to know whether the Ainu say s or sh; thus shui would be sui by some and sa, sha; or so, sho and so on or vice versa.