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 Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:29 pm
I know that one set(katakana) is used for foreign words and the other (hiragana) for native words, but why do they mix it up?
I was reading something and it spelled the word 'manga'(romaji) in katakana! But I thought that manga was a native word to Japan....so wouldn't it be hiragana? why not?
Do some/most words have to be spelled in one kana opposed to the other?
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:22 pm
I may not be the best to explain but:
ローマ字：manga
漢字：漫画
平仮名：まんが
片仮名：マンガ
That's all I know... but I think it's because it's like... I don't know?
razz I can help with writing but not why it's like that! Sorry. sweatdrop
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:36 pm
Katakana has other uses besides foreign words, fyi.
It's a stylistic thing I'm thinking.
Sometimes things are more commonly written in one script over another because sometimes younger audiences read them, so it's easier.
I'm not sure much beyond that, but I know that sometimes people will write in all different ways.
I think the times I see it most is with nouns, not usually verbs or particles, but of course I could be wrong.
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 10:43 pm
A number of japanese companies spell their names in katakana, too. Like nintendo.
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:13 pm
I'm a Jap noob but aren't hiragana and kana pretty similar? I mean, couldn't they just merge them, save a lot of trouble???
Then again, I'm only really saying that because the more symbols there are the more I have to learn.
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Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 7:29 am
Clally I'm a Jap noob but aren't hiragana and kana pretty similar? I mean, couldn't they just merge them, save a lot of trouble??? Then again, I'm only really saying that because the more symbols there are the more I have to learn. They could, but it's unlikely. It's like America and the metric system. Everybody want's to change, but it'd take too much work rewriting everything.
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 9:40 pm
They can be used stylistically, too. For instance, katakana may be used sort of to put emphasis on a word, like if we were to underline or make it caps or bold or something. This is important. コレは大切です。
According to something I read, the katakana and hiragana were originally not used as they are today, but based on gender. Katakana are sharp and strong - males used them. Hiragana are softer and rounder - women used them. I don't remember where I read it, but it makes sense. The use changed gradually over time.
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Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 2:41 am
Katakana were developed by Japanese monks as a simplified version of the complicated kanji only script that was used at the time, making it masculine. hiragana on the other hand was developed by the imperial ladies of the court, for the same reason, thus making it feminine. Hiragana was once referred to as "Womans Hand".
As the the Japanese written language evolved away from a kanji only system, the masculine and feminine overtones stayed with the two sets. For example, comics for boys and important telegrams were often completely written in katakana, and comics for girls and novels were typically written in hiragana. Also, things like sound effects and swear words are often written in hiragana as well.
That period of Japanese history has well and truly gone, and uses of hiragana and katakana have changed a little. For example, names for animals are often written in katakana, especially in academic writing, and expressions and conjunctions, although having a written kanji form are almost always written in hiragana alone. Also, some normal words are often written in either character set despite having a kanji, kimi (you) is often written in katakana alone, as it's (well, not so much now a days) a male term. Common verbs are often written in hiragana alone, such as aru, iru, naru, yaru ect..., possibly because it's simply faster to write them that way.
I guess I did learn something in Japanese history class
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 2:51 pm
Wow. Thank you ^^ I was only wondering, whether it mattered which script certain things were written in(i. e. verbs, names, places, sounds, conjunctions, etc.) You helped a lot. Thnx ^^
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:09 am
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:11 pm
They both came from chinese characters, aand in the olden japan, men used kanji and women used katakana.
but then time passed, the yall thought there should be like something in between katakana and kanji, so they made hiragana. domokun
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