The Japanese 'alphabets' are actually syllabaries. Of course you know this, and I assume you are calling them 'alphabets' because that is a term non-linguists are familiar with. However I encounter the word syllabary more often than alphabet from people who know Japanese or books about the language, so I think calling them alphabets without making note of the distinction might cause trouble down the road for the uninitiated--the kind of thing your guide is attempting to avoid.
Posted by Anonymous on Feb 10th, 2010 at 12:31 am.
The Japanese 'alphabets' are
The Japanese 'alphabets' are actually syllabaries. Of course you know this, and I assume you are calling them 'alphabets' because that is a term non-linguists are familiar with. However I encounter the word syllabary more often than alphabet from people who know Japanese or books about the language, so I think calling them alphabets without making note of the distinction might cause trouble down the road for the uninitiated--the kind of thing your guide is attempting to avoid.