noun
special kana usage of the Nara period
Linguistics term referring to the distinct usage of certain man'yōgana in Old Japanese (8th century) to represent different vowel values that later merged. Often discussed in the context of 上代仮名.
See also: 上代仮名
上代特殊仮名遣いは、万葉集の表記を研究する上で重要な手がかりとなる。
The special kana usage of the Nara period provides important clues for studying the orthography of the Man'yōshū.
上代仮名 is the broader term for the man'yōgana used in Old Japanese, while 上代特殊仮名遣い specifically refers to the distinctive usage patterns that distinguish certain vowel values.
Compound of 上代 (ancient times, Nara period), 特殊 (special), and 仮名遣い (kana usage). The term was coined in modern Japanese linguistics to describe the phenomenon.