(phonology, orthography, grammar) the fourth and second-lowest-graded column of the 五十音図 (literally “table of the fifty sounds”), consisting of the nine kana え/エ (e), け/ケ (ke), せ/セ (se), て/テ (te), ね/ネ (ne), へ/ヘ (he), め/メ (me), れ/レ (re) and ゑ/ヱ (we), and sometimes additionally 𛀁/𛄡 (ye)