Why Are the Japanese Still Using a 'Lazy Kanji' That We've Forgotten?

When you watch Japanese dramas or manga, have you ever come across this peculiar symbol: 「々」?

It often appears in words like 「人々」 or 「時々」. The first time you see it, you might be a bit baffled: Is it a typo, or some new internet symbol?

In fact, it's a truly ingenious 'lazy person's' tool, roughly equivalent to a '+1' in online chats or the square symbol (²) in mathematics.

A 'Copy-Paste' Shortcut

The meaning of the symbol 「々」 is very simple: repeat the preceding kanji.

• 人々 (hito-bito) = 人人 (rénrén), meaning 'people'
• 時々 (toki-doki) = 時時 (shíshí), meaning 'often' or 'sometimes'
• 日々 (hibi) = 日日 (rìrì), meaning 'every day'

You see, it's a 'copy-paste' shortcut built right into the language. Pretty clever, isn't it?

Even more interestingly, the Japanese have given it an incredibly cute nickname: 「ノマ」 (noma).

Look closely at the symbol 「々」 – doesn't it resemble the Katakana characters 「ノ」 (no) and 「マ」 (ma) pieced together? The nickname couldn't be more apt!

The Most Familiar Stranger Among 'Kanji'

But what's most astonishing is that this symbol, seemingly so 'distinctly Japanese', is in fact an out-and-out 'Made in China' product, with a long history to boot.

It originated from the cursive script of Chinese characters. Its original form is the character 「仝」 (pronounced tóng), which means 'same' or 'identical'. Ancient calligraphers, in their quest for faster writing, cursively transformed 「仝」 into the shape of 「々」.

This usage appeared as early as 3,000 years ago, on Shang Dynasty bronze vessels. For instance, in inscriptions carved with '子子孙孙' (sons and grandsons/descendants), the second '子' and '孙' were written using a repetition symbol.

That's right, this symbol we thought was a Japanese invention is actually a testament to our own ancestors' wisdom. It's simply that in later evolution, modern Chinese adopted the practice of directly repeating characters (such as '人人' (rénrén) or '常常' (chángcháng)), whereas Japanese retained this efficient 'lazy person's symbol' and made it an official part of its writing system.

It's akin to discovering your neighbour has been using an ancestral secret recipe for centuries, only to realise it was actually invented by your own great-grandfather.

Language: A Treasure Trove Full of Easter Eggs

Next time you see 「々」, you'll know it's not just some odd symbol, but a 'living fossil' that has traversed thousands of years of history, connecting Chinese and Japanese cultures.

In Japanese input methods, you can easily find it by simply typing onaji (同じ) or dou (同).

The world of language is truly fascinating, filled with such unexpected 'Easter eggs'. Behind every symbol, there might lie a forgotten history, linking different cultures. Learning a new language isn't just about memorising vocabulary and grammar; it's about opening a door to explore untold stories.

If you're also captivated by these cross-cultural stories and eager to communicate seamlessly with people worldwide, then a tool like Lingogram might just lend you a hand. Its built-in AI translation feature allows you to chat with anyone in your native language, as if you were old friends who've known each other for years, effortlessly uncovering more cultural secrets.