One of my favorite stores, ユニクロ, uses the Katakana alphabet. ユニクロ is a trendy expression that stems from the english words, "Unique Clothes." Due to its foreign root words, it is written in Katakana. Additionally, many brand names are often written in Katakana so that they can standout and be more memorable for consumers. The straight and simple lines of katakana are visually edgier than the curved hiragana alphabet or complicated kanji characters. 
Katakana is also used to express onomatopoeia like ドキドキ or ハラハラ, which both refer to the sounds of a throbbing heart going pit-a-pat. I found these auditory words in the song, Automatic by 宇多田ヒカル. Using Katakana to express sounds helps these non-real words to stand out in the song. Onomatopoeia are very common in songs by 宇多田 ヒカル as she utilizes language to contribute to the catchy rhythm of her up-beat tunes. While most people agree that katakana is used for emphasis, onomatopoeia, and foreign words, each textbook has a slightly different explanation of katakana because the role of this alphabet has changed over the course of history lending to no concrete function. During the Heian period from the late 8th to 12th century, katakana with its straight, masculine lines was the alphabet for men while the curvy shaped hiragana was reserved for women. Only in more recent times did the role of katakana change into the alphabet for loanwords.
そうなんですか！ I didn't know that ユニクロ was the combination of unique clothes! How did you know that? Anyway, I agree that ユニクロ is written because its original words are English words. Also, lots of brand names are written in katakana. It is probably true that katakana that has more edge can be more noticeable than hiragana/kanji.
ReplyDeleteMany of current songs use lots of katakana such as onomatopoeia as you wrote, but I never thought that these katakana contribute to the catchy rhythm. Yes, I totally agree! But wait... what if onomatopoeia are written in hiragana? It doesn't convey the catchy rhythm??
おもしろいですね！I didn't know that there was so much onomatopoeia in 宇多田ヒカル's songs. I think that カタカナ is used because there aren't meanings for these words other than the sounds that they convey...
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere about how katakana words are used a lot for advertising/store signs for their ability to emphasize and draw attention. I wonder if such a marketing/advertising method has now become obsolete, since so many people have used it for many years now.
ReplyDeleteI guess if onomatopoeia are written in hiragana they still convey the catchy rhythm acoustically; however, the actual writing of katakana with its more linear vs. curvy strokes makes katakana edgier than hiragana on paper (visually).
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that ユニクロ has foreign root words. Since it is mostly popular in Japan, it seems to me that Japanese people might not realize that ユニクロ stands for "Unique Clothes." Despite being a native English speaker, I myself did not even realize that that is what ユニクロ stood for.
ReplyDeleteわたしもユニクロがすきです。 シンガポールはユニクロがあります。ユニクロがやすいですから、シンガポールじんはとてもすきですね。おおきとあたらしデパートのなかにあります。
日本語かのTAです。
ReplyDeleteカタカナはおもしろいですね。
I like 宇多田ヒカル!
宇多田ヒカルは、にほんじんです。
However, her name is 「ヒカル」instead of 「ひかる」.
Why do you think this is?
I am not exactly sure why she chose to write her given name in katakana. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that her nickname growing up in the U.S. was "Hikki".
ReplyDelete