ヱ

Simplified in the Heian period from the man'yōgana kanji 恵.

• IPA^(key): [e̞] (rare)
• IPA^(key): [ɰᵝe̞] (obsolete)

ヱ (romaji we, alternative romaji e)

1. (rare) The katakana syllable ヱ (we). Its equivalent in hiragana is ゑ (we). It is the forty-sixth syllable in the gojūon order; its position is ワ行エ段 (wa-gyō e-dan, “row wa, section e”).
2. (obsolete) The katakana syllable ヱ (e). Its equivalent in hiragana is ゑ (e). It is the forty-sixth syllable in the gojūon order; its position is ワ行エ段 (wa-gyō e-dan, “row wa, section e”).

Unlike the hiragana system, used for Japanese language words that kanji does not cover, the katakana syllabary is used primarily for transcription of foreign language words into Japanese and the writing of loan words (collectively gairaigo), as well as to represent onomatopoeias, technical and scientific terms, and the names of plants, animals, and minerals. It is also occasionally used colloquially in some words for emphasis. Names of Japanese companies, as well as certain Japanese language words, are also sometimes written in katakana rather than the other systems. Formerly, female given names were written in katakana. ^[edit]

• (Katakana) 片仮名; アァ, イィ, ウゥヴ, エェ, オォ, カヵガ, キギ, クグ, ケヶゲ, コゴ, サザ, シジ, スズ, セゼ, ソゾ, タダ, チヂ, ツッヅ, テデ, トド, ナ, ニ, ヌ, ネ, ノ, ハバパ, ヒビピ, フブプ, ヘベペ, ホボポ, マ, ミ, ム, メ, モ, ヤャ, ユュ, ヨョ, ラ, リ, ル, レ, ロ, ワヮ, ヰ, ヱ, ヲ, ン, ー, ヽ, ヾ
• ウェ (we)