36 Initials
A traditional Chinese phonological system for classifying the initial consonants of Middle Chinese, used in historical linguistics and the study of kanji readings.
The 36 Initials were used in Chinese phonology to classify the initial consonants of Middle Chinese.
From Chinese 三十六字母 (sānshíliù zìmǔ), literally 'thirty-six letters/initials'. The term refers to the traditional set of 36 initial consonant categories in Middle Chinese phonology.