𛀁

𛀁 U+1B001, 𛀁 HIRAGANA LETTER ARCHAIC YE (Corrected: HENTAIGANA LETTER E-1) ← 𛀀 [U+1B000] Kana Supplement 𛀂 → [U+1B002]

See also: え, 𛀀, and ゑ

Japanese

Etymology 1

From cursive man'yōgana 江. Became obsolete for representing ye in the mid-Heian period when ye merged with e in spoken Japanese; later resurrected by linguists in the late Edo period or Meiji period for representation of Old and Early Classical Japanese.

Syllable

𛀁 • (ye or e) 

1. (obsolete) The hentaigana syllable ye or e.

   燃(も)𛀁る ― moeru ― to burn, etymologically from classical 燃(も)ゆ (moyu)

2. (obsolete) The hiragana syllable 𛀁 (ye). Its equivalent in katakana is エ (ye) or 𛄡 (𛄡) (ye).

Usage notes

• 𛀁 and 𛀀 are used to represent the Japanese language before the mid-10th century, in which /e/ and /je/ were different phonemes.

	/e/	/je/
hiragana	え	𛀁
katakana	𛀀	エ [or 𛄡]

In modern Japanese, old /e/ and /je/ both evolved into /e/, and are both written as え in hiragana and エ in katakana. Later reintroduction of the sound /je/ is written as いぇ in hiragana and イェ in katakana. Retrospective discussion of /je/ in Old and Early Classical Japanese (prior to the mid-Heian period merger with /e/) uses 𛀁 in hiragana and 𛄡 in katakana (the latter invented for this purpose during the Meiji period to prevent confusion with the modern use of エ to represent /e/ rather than its ancient sound value of /je/).

• 𛀁 was used historically as a hentaigana character, as an alternative form of え (e).

Words containing Old Japanese /je/ of Sinitic origin

• 叡(えい) (ei) ← 叡(𛀁い) (yei)
• 睿(えい) (ei) ← 睿(𛀁い) (yei)
• 曳(えい) (ei) ← 曳(𛀁い) (yei)
• 裔(えい) (ei) ← 裔(𛀁い) (yei)
• 延(えん) (en) ← 延(𛀁ん) (yen)
• 鹽(えん) (en) ← 鹽(𛀁ん) (yen)
• 縁(えん) (en) ← 縁(𛀁ん) (yen)
• 要(よう) (yō) ← 要(𛀁う) (yeu)
• 遙(よう) (yō) ← 遙(𛀁う) (yeu)

Words containing Old Japanese /je/ of Japonic origin

• 江(え) (e) ← 江(𛀁) (ye)
• 枝(えだ) (eda) ← 枝(𛀁だ) (yeda)
• 兄(え) (e) ← 兄(𛀁) (ye)
• 良(え)い (ei) ← 良(𛀁)い (yei)
• 楚(すわえ) (suwae) ← 楚(すは𛀁) (supaye)
• All "や行下二段活用" verbs, e.g. 燃(も)え (moe) ← 燃(も)𛀁 (moye)

Etymology 2

Particle

𛀁 • (ye) 

1. (obsolete) Identical in meaning to the particle へ, but used only after pronunciations of え, 𛀁, and ゑ. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

See also

The Hiragana script
あぁあ゙	かゕがか゚	さざさ゚	ただた゚	な	はばぱ	ま	やゃ	らら゚	わゎわ゙	んん゙
いぃい゙	きぎき゚	しじし゚	ちぢち゚	に	ひびぴ	み	𛀆	りり゚	ゐ𛅐ゐ゙
うぅゔう゚	くぐく゚	すずす゚	つっづつ゚	ぬ	ふぶぷ	む	ゆゅ	るる゚	𛄟
えぇえ゙	けゖげけ゚	せぜせ゚	てでて゚	ね	へべぺ	め	𛀁	れれ゚	ゑ𛅑ゑ゙
おぉお゙	こ𛄲ごこ゚	そぞそ゚	とどと゚	の	ほぼぽ	も	よょ	ろろ゚	を𛅒を゙
Additional symbols ーゝゞゝ゚ゟ

Old Japanese

Etymology 1

Native readings.

Noun

𛀁 (ye)

1. 兄: eldest or oldest sibling
2. 江: inlet

Etymology 2

Suffix

𛀁 (-ye)

1. irrealis of ゆ (yu, spontaneous / passive / potential auxiliary)
2. continuative of ゆ (yu, spontaneous / passive / potential auxiliary)