Katakana Analysis

<Katakana from our group>

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.