How I feel inside when I try to memorize lots of katakana words.
http://medicalschoolmd.com/images/anxiety_3.JPG
In this katakana analysis project, I tried to find uses for katakana other than loan words because these uses are the ones I'm most unfamiliar with. Here is what I found:
http://www.asianbite.com/JapanImages/Ayumi-Hamasaki-on-Magazine-Cover-2.jpg
From the cover of a Japanese magazine (not this one, regrettably):
フレンチガール
French girl
Certainly, this could have been partially written in hiragana and kanji as フランスの女の人 or something. I think that katakana was used in this case to emphasize the foreignness of this "French girl" and make it stand out on the page.
Here is the second use of katakana that I found:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31FRxUXBqaL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
From the tag of a Mameshiba toy:
クワハラ ベトナム カンパニー リミテッド
Kuwahara Bednam Company Ltd.
Again, this company name could have been partially written in hiragana or kanji because "Kuwahara" is a Japanese name, not a foreign name. But I think katakana was used here for continuity. It might look a little bit strange to have "Kuwahara" written in kanji and the rest of the company name written in katakana.
http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/97/80/61/89/66/9780618966288_500X500.jpg
Each textbook explains katakana in a different way, but this is because katakana has many different uses.
The very basic uses of katakana are always foreign names and loan words. But some textbooks mention that katakana is also used for onomatopoeia. Fewer textbooks mention that katakana is also used for emphasis or for making things look cool.
The most likely reason for these differences in explanation is that different textbook authors may think that some uses of katakana are more important for beginning students like us to know. Personally, I'd like to learn as much about katakana usage as I can!
In terms of the magazine, I agree that it makes the cover more foreign and "Western." Japanese pop culture is fascinated with "Westernized" things, including fashion, celebrities, etc, so this interpretation makes sense. I also think that it makes the cover look more edgy and modern, instead of cute and child like (which hiragana tends to like).
ReplyDeleteI didn't think about katakana as edgy and modern! That's an excellent point, Yu-san. Thank you!
DeleteI totally agree that while memorizing Katakana words is easier in some respects than memorizing other vocabulary, there are times that it is harder when the Katakana is not what one would have originally suspected. There are definitely particular words that I would have spelled differently than is the accepted standard, and I always have to remind myself that I can't always just sound something out. On an unrelated note, I think that some textbooks may teach Katakana for the more established uses in the language, such as loan words and foreign names, and then expect that students will be exposed to other cultural uses as they become more familiar with Japanese society.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad someone else commiserates with me over katakana vocabulary, Creely-san!
DeleteOn your note about textbooks, I think that is a valid assumption. However, I know that I personally am a hesitant and outright wrong when it comes to drawing my own conclusions about, say, a new language. So I might need a textbook that explains katakana usage a little more fully so that I have more of a framework to reference when I draw my own conclusions.
This is a great analysis, Williams-san! I like how you pointed out how textbooks distinguish the importance of certain purposes of katakana depending on their approach. I was surprised to read the excerpt from that one textbook that pointed out katakana use to emphasize Western culture.
ReplyDeleteYou also make an excellent point about the continuity of company names. I might be wrong, but I assume that even though the Kuwahara company is based in Japan, it is involved with some foreign business or commerce outside of Japan. In this case, it might be easier to stick with a spelling that speaks to this international/commercial nature, and may even diverge from Japanese traditional culture.
PS: I've definitely experienced the frustration after not translating an English word into its accurate katakana form- it's surprisingly challenging to try and match up English's diverse sounds to the clear set of katakana phonemes!