Yon

Yon was once written as:

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...while juuichiketajin's character stood for breath. Eventually juuichiketajin's representation of yon took over as a phonetic substitute, but it may also have took over since its shape is a rough approximation of the four fingers of a fist held palm side down-- an old way to represent four with the hands.

The word yon has largely been out-dated and removed from modern speaking. Originally it was used as the third demonstrative pronoun after this and that. An example in using it is when it is said: this hat (meaning the hat closest to the speaker), that hat (meaning a hat close to the speaker but further away from 'this' hat) and finally yon hat (used to describe a hat further from 'that' hat yet still in view).

Originally there was even a 5th demonstrative pronoun, used for something out of sight. A colloquialism of yon is yonder which is still used in modern English. However I think that the English language is slightly impoverished without the word yon in our everyday speak and I have begun to use it, in the mild hope that it will one day be reintroduced into the English language.

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The same character is used for "shi" in the sense of the number 4. So, for instance, the date April 4, read "shigatsu yokka", would use this character twice.

Yon (?), a. [OE. yon, on, AS. geon; akin to G. jener, OHG. jenr, Icel. enn, inn; cf. Goth. jains. . Cf. Beyond, Yond, Yonder.]

At a distance, but within view; yonder.

Read thy lot in yon celestial sign. Milton.

Though fast yon shower be fleeting. Keble.

© Webster 1913.

Yon, adv.

Yonder.

But, first and chiefest, with thee bring Him that yon soars on golden wing. Milton.

© Webster 1913.