PHONETIC CONTRACTIONS. These are not uncommon, and are principally vocalic. Such are _wagimo_ (my sister) for _waga imo_; _ariso_ (wild shore) for _ara iso_; _kafuchi_ (within the rivers) for _kaha uchi_; _amori_ (descent from heaven) for _ame ori_; _kurenawi_ (a shade of red) _kure no awi_, lit. an indigo (i.e. a dye) brought from China; _konure_ (tree-top) _ko no ure_; _ke_ (come, pass) _ki he_--_ke nagaku kohishi_, long time loved; _ke no kono goro ha_, a time lately gone by; _arumi_ (wild sea) _ara umi_; _futsuma_ (stout horse) _futo uma_. The above are substantival, others are adjectival or verbal, as:-- _naru_ (be in, at, of), _ni aru_, as in _Yamato naru_, _ihe naru_, &c. _nari_--_ni ari_, as _oto su nari_ = _oto suru de ari_. _naru_--_no aru_, as _hana naru toki_ = _hana no aru toki_. _sareba_--_shi areba_, as _haru sareba_. _chifu_--_to ifu_ (they call, ’tis called). _ku_, _ki-yu_; _ke_, _ki-he_; _mesage_, _meshiage_; _kakage_, _kaki age_; _motage_, _mote age_, &c. PHONETIC EXTENSIONS. Such are:-- _nagaru_--_nagarafu_, _nagarahi_, flow, flow in quantity, &c. _yobu_--_yobafu_, _yobahi_, call, invite, pay court to (girl). _nageku_--_nagekafu_, _nagekahi_, draw deep breath, lament, &c. So causative forms exist used as honour-forms, _nagekasu_ for _nageku_, and a termination in _aku_ as _nagekaku_, _kakemaku_, _ihaku_, for _nageku_, _kakemu_, _ifu_ used substantively. _Ihafu_, bless, is perhaps an extension of _ifu_, speak, say. Of _yobahi_ (_yobu_ extended) a humorous explanation is sometimes given, _yo_ (by night) _hahi_ (creep), visit stealthily by night. Etymology of this kind is extremely easy in Japanese. AUXILIARY PARTICLES (_tasuke kotoba_):-- Such are _shi_ (emphatic), _kami-yo shi omohoyu_, _ihe shi shinubayu_. _wo_ (emphatic), as in _yatsu yo ni wo_, _tanushiku wo arana(mu)_, but in phrases like _mitsutsu yukamu wo_, _wo_ = _mono wo_. _ya_, _ame shiru ya_, _ama tobu ya_, _kashikoki ya_, _Afumi no ya_, _naku ya uguhisu_, &c.; but in _kimi ya komu_, _ya_ is dubitative--interrogative. In _kakusafubeshi ya_, _sugi nikerazu ya_, _ya_ = _ya ha_ = Lat. _num_. _nane_, term of address and endearment, must not be confused with _nane_ of _imonane_, _senane_, which are terms of relationship. _i_ suffixed as in _sekimori-i_, _Unahi-wotoki-i_ may be regarded as emphatic, or isolative (like _ha_, according to Chamberlain), or as etymologically = the Korean postposition _i_ (Aston). _we_, a terminal interjection as _are ha sabushi we_. _ro ka mo_, _tafutoki ro ka mo_, here _ro ka mo_ = is it not so even! _ro_, according to Mr. Chamberlain, is a post-position equivalent to _te_ or _nite_. _mo_, _mo yo_, _mo ya_, _shi mo_, _ya shi_, _yo shi_, are all interjectional expressions, not mere fill-gaps, variously emphasizing or calling attention to the meaning of the words, &c., they are attached to.