Kana
/ˈkænə/noun
A Japanese system of syllabic writing.
Did you know?The term 'Kana' comes from the ancient practice of phonetic writing, which was believed to channel the spirit of words into written form.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Japanese
Proto-Japanese
*kana
“Symbol or character used for phonetic representation.”
Old Japanese
Old Japanese
仮名
“Phonetic characters used alongside ideograms.”
Heian Period (794-1185)
Japanese
仮名
“Refinement of phonetic scripts used in poetry and prose.”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
かな
“Standardized syllabary in contemporary writing, used for native Japanese words.”