Today, katakana is mostly used to write words of foreign origin: メガバイト /megabyte/ megabyte. The procedure for writing borrowed words in katakana was approved in 1991. In addition to gairaigo borrowings, katakana is also used to write down foreign geographical names, names of foreigners, special scientific and technical terms: バチカン/ Bachikan/ Vatican, ジェネティック・コー ド /genetikku ko:do/ genetic code. It can also be used to write down the names of animals and plants, as well as onomatopoeias: ラクダ /rakuda/ camel, シクシク /shiku-shiku/ sobbing.

However, for a long time and until the end of World War II, katakana was used as okurigan in imperial rescripts, military statutes, etc. Such a function can be observed in the laws adopted before the reform of writing, for example: 運送取扱人トハ自己ノ名ヲ以テ物品運送ノ取次ヲ為スヲ業卜スル者 ヲ謂フ /Unso:-toriatsukai-nin to wa jiko-no na-o motte buppin-unso:-no toritsugi-o nasu-o gyo: to suru mono-o ifu/ A shipping agent is a person who acts as an intermediary in the transportation of goods, carrying it out on his own behalf (Japanese Commercial Code).

However, even today, the scope of using katakana is not limited to writing words of foreign origin and some Japanese tokens. In addition, katakana is often used to highlight a word. For example, writing the name of the city of Hiroshima in katakana as ヒロシマ indicates that it is not about the geographical area, but about the historical fact of the atomic bombing.

Katakana is also used for emotionally expressive words. For example, in the columns of the newspaper we meet: カワイイだけじゃタメ /kawai dake jya dame/ cute, but you can't. The overhangs 可愛い and だめ are commonly used. But here it is emphasized not just the attractiveness, but the extraordinary attractiveness of the object, and also not just the inaccessibility, but the categorical inaccessibility of this object. That is the emotional component of the statement is strengthened.

Another example of the use of katakana is the selection of words that are the subject of the statement: 歴史には無数のモシが存在する/rekishi-ni wa musu:-no moshi-ga sonzai-suru/ there are many "ifs" in history. In this case, the katakana actually acts as quotation marks. Thus, katakana, used where it is not normally provided, highlights and emphasizes the corresponding linguistic unit.

Have you seen such unique uses of katakana? Share in the comments!