Yin san
1. Amazon ペイメント：Totoro Toy Key Chain (from Amazon.com)
2. ふっちょCandy Wrap: エネルギーは１９２kcal.
3. EMS Delivery: スピード è Speed (Sources: EMS Delivery Packet)
4. しっかりゴハン：Even though, gohan is written in hiragana, here on the store post, gohan is written in katakana.
5. ルージュ：lipstick (Sources: Cosmetics Store)
Li san
1. アレコレ：This and that (Source: Written on the nama ramen package)
2. コキッ： the sound of the baseball bat hitting the ball (Source: Japanese Manga, Tachi)
3. センタ：Center (Source: on the namecard, Tokyo Christian University)
4. ラクラクーキレシ。いろんな トコ： Convenient, Clean and Can be used everywhere.(Source: Flyer on the cleaning supply, Duskin)
5. ピリ マメバーガー：Spicy Hamburger (Source: Mos Burger Flyer)
Ko san
1. キユウウウウウウ、バチチチチチ, ナルト：Fighting Sound in Japanese manga, Naruto (Kyuuuuu and bachichichichi)
2. ホール ドリンク いっぱい １００円： All drinks for one drink, 100 Yen (Source: Flyer in the Korean Barbecue Place in Japan)
3. ビニーハウス：Greenhouse (Source: Yomiuri Shimbun, Society Section)
4. こくさんタバコ：Domestic Cigarettes (Source: Mild Seven Super Light Package)
5. レイザーラモンHG: Razor Ramon HG. Japanese Comedy Character. (Source: Youtube: Japanese)
<Katakana Categorized >
1. Loanwords: ペイメント(Payment), スピード(Speed), エネルギー(Energy or Calorie), ルージュ(Lipstick), センタ(Center), ホール ドリンク(All drinks), ビニーハウス(Green house), タバコ(Tabacco), レイザーラモン
2. Onomatopoeia(Natural sounds, Manner): (sound)キユウウウウウウ、バチチチチチ, ナルト, コキッ
3. Words the writer wishes to emphasize: ゴハン, アレコレ
4. Others
ラクラクーキレシ。いろんな トコ:
ラクラクー(Onomatopoeia: manner), キレシ(Emphasized word), トコ(Emphasized word)
ピリ マメバーガー: ピリ (Emphasizing 'ぴりり': spicy), マメ(Emphasizing 'まめ'：bean), バーガー(Loanword)
It seems like there are four different catagories in catagorizing the usage of Katakana: loanwords, omomatopoeic words, words the writer wants to emphasize, and the combination of more than two different usage of Katakana. Though this is not enough study to define how Katakana is used, if I may add my personal impression, it seems like there is not much restriction in the usage of Katakana. Although it has it's main purpose to serve in Japanese, it looks like it could expand into more various usages in order to draw the reader's attention.
(I'm posting this on behalf of Torie Lebsack (4nensee))
ReplyDeleteWith regard to what you mention about there not being restrictions on katakana usage, I think most examples you'll find will fit in those main categories (onomatopoeia, loan words, and emphasis). Less formal types of writing (like some advertisements, manga, and blogs/text messages) can get especially creative with their katakana usage, though.
Thank you for your comment, Torie Lebsack and Matsui sensei. I agree with what you are saying. I noticed that it is more like a tool for any kind of emphasis(according to my shallow study) and I thought the usage seemed to be expanding. Maybe I hoped it to be expanding? .. in the future..? :)
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting to see you listing the four categories here. Sometimes people choose to write Katakana as they wish, but it is interesting to see where these Katakana are used.
ReplyDeleteI think you raised some examples about manga/anime/comics from Japanese pop culture, and I have some views on that, too. This is very phenomenal as the authors tend to use katakana in order to cater to young readers. For example, think about the difference between ナルト(Naruto)と佐助(Sasuke). As two main characters of Naruto, why is one's name in Katakana and one in Kanji (and a very very very old-fashioned Japanese name!) I think the choice between katakana and kanji also sort of indicate the personality setting as well (naruto as supposed to very rebellious, and sasuke more on the traditional ninja track). This is just my random thought feel free to go against me if you don't agree :)
Oh another example about Katakana's use in comic. In Hunter X Hunter, there is a character called ナニカ(NANIKA). This name first appeared as her family tried to deny her existence （これは何か？= I dont know what this is and why it came to this family), but later on as the characters' personality develops, it becomes more like a real name instead of a question mark. Sometimes I found that the writers are just really into playing with the word choices.
Have fun.
You make an interesting point about katakana not having restrictions in terms of usage. It seems as though katakana in general is utilized for emphasis--either emphasizing a sort of foreignness or simply, emphasizing in a literary sense.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole usage of katakana revolves around making the phrase stand out a lot more in the middle of sentence, whether to stress the foreign nature of the word, indicate a onomatopoetic sound, or just to stress a particular word more. Especially in manga, in any given action manga there are just pages upon pages filled with sound effect after sound affect written in sharp hooks and turns that really uses the natural shape of katakana in order to stand out.
ReplyDelete