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Laura
Do new kanji get invented?
When new concepts or objects are invented do they make new kanji for them? For example, are there or will there ever be kanji for modern things, like 'blu-Ray' or 'selfie'. What about gairaigo? They're written in katakana, but will a kanji ever be made for them, or are all the kanji that will ever exist already decided? Will new inventions and concepts be written in katakana and hiragana?
Apr 28, 2015 3:31 AM
Answers · 3
3
I would say that Japanese has been moving away from using too many kanji in the last 70 years. Therefore, even though I would not say that a new kanji will never be invented for a new concept, I would say that it is extremely unlikely.
In the past, when a new word came into the Japanese language, they would use existing kanji in a new combination, such as telephone = denwa = 電話 = electric speech. These two characters had existing as kanji well before the telephone was invented.
Nowadays, it is likely that the new word will enter Japanese as a garaigo. For Blu-Ray discs, the Japanese usually say BD (ビーディー)or buru-rei (ブルーレイ)ディスク(disuku). For the word selfie, the Japanese either use the katakana セルフィー or the existing kanji in a new combination "self-picture-taking" 自分撮り/自撮り. No new kanji were invented for these new concepts.
April 28, 2015
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Laura
Language Skills
English, Italian, Japanese
Learning Language
Italian, Japanese
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