The slogan is more interesting because it is slightly redundant and grammatically incorrect and hatsuratsu is a Japanese word that has been written in katakana. Both genki and hatsuratsu are adjectives meaning healthy and lively but hatsuratsu has more emphasis on cheerfulness. When written in katakana, it has even more emphasis.
Textbooks are different in explaining katakana because there are so many different ways to explain them and there is no official explanation of usage. It also seems like the usage of katakana is always changing, therefore textbooks written at different times will explain katakana in the context of the time it was written.
This drink is so famous in Japan but I've never thought of it this way! Very interesting!
ReplyDeleteYea, I also think that there are so many new katakana words that the textbooks can't keep up with them.
カタカナの使い方はとてもおもしろですね！ 外国語を書く時使うし、それでとくべつなひょうげんを書く時でも使うから、ルールがはっきりあることではありませんね。
ReplyDeleteKatakana usage is indeed interesting. As you say it is used to write foreign words and phrases, but it seems it is also used to write special expressions. Maybe that explains ハツラツ being written in katakana. In early 20th century writings, I have seen katakana used to write certain expressions of thought. Your ad looks like it dates from sometime mid 20th century and maybe that bears some connection? Your ad is a great picture!
I agree with you -- the fact that the uses of katakana are so fluid and are constantly changing makes it difficult to pin down a few categorical uses of the script. It seems like it would be pretty taihen to be a textbook writer.
ReplyDeleteMaybe "orona" signifies a flavor? (I thought "orange" when I first read this, but certainly be wrong.)
I love オロナミンC！ I used to drink a lot when I was a kid. As you said in your post, Katakana might have been used to emphasize. But the word is not a loanword or original Japanese word. Do you think there is other reasons for this Katakana use? Maybe you could look into the history of the product. It might say something about the coinage of the name.
ReplyDeleteAlso, はつらつ can be written for emphasis but do you think there are other effect in using Katakana form rather than Hiragana for this particular word?
Maybe you could think about the above points for the further analysis.
I look forward to reading your next post!
TA:Chikako Takahashi