hiragana
[ heer-uh-gah-nuh; Japanese hee-rah-gah-nah ]
noun
the cursive and more widely used of the two Japanese syllabaries.
Origin of hiragana
11815–25; <Japanese, equivalent to hira ordinary (earlier f(y)ira<*pira) + -gana, combining form of kanakana
- Compare katakana.
Words Nearby hiragana
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for hiragana
hiragana
/ (ˌhɪərəˈɡɑːnə) /
noun
one of the Japanese systems of syllabic writing based on Chinese cursive ideograms. The more widely used of the two current systems, it is employed in newspapers and general literature: Compare katakana
Origin of hiragana
1from Japanese: flat kana
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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