"Neko" can also be transcribed in Japanese phonetic characters as "Hiragana"
or "Katakana"
Kanji is ideographic (the symbols describe the character), whilst Hiragana and Katakana are both phonographic (symbols used to represent sound - like the alphabet). They all describe the creature we know as "Neko". Japanese usually transcribe the name of things with these three types of characters to suit the situation.
Is this too much trouble? No, it isn't - because there is more than one aspect to any living creature and we have words to describe each attribute. We unconsciously change the characters to suit the occasion and consciously pronounce the words according to the characters.
When Anne of Green Gables said, "When you hear a name pronounced, can't you always see it in your mind?" she was talking about words in the same way that we use characters and idiograms.
"Kanji" looks formal and solemn. "Hiragana" is casual and gentle. "Katakana" is peculiar and sometimes looks amusing.
You may have heard a Japanese word "Sensei". This means "a teacher, a master or a VIP". You may be called Sensei sometimes, but don't be too proud because it may be pronounced in "Katakana"!
The use of words is central to Japanese culture and we place great importance in the correct use of our language and writing.
A famous Japanese linguist once advanced a new theory about the origin of the word "Neko". He said that "ne" means 'sleeping' and that "ko" means 'little thing', because the creature is always sleeping! And there are so many girl's names spelled with "ko" in Japan. I think that the sound of "Neko" is so gentle that it is appropriate to be written in Hiragana, describing the flexibility and spring of the cat.
When I draw my Cats on Macintosh in the midnight, I sometimes find myself murmuring "nekoneko..." to myself. It’s something like an incantation.
It sounds a little sorrowful. For the sound reminds me of my lost girlfriend.
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This is the second volume of Cat's Eye View. This slideshow is a stand-alone movie made by Macromedia Director. You need 16 bit colour and larger than a 14 inch monitor to view it properly. Cat's Eye View Vol.2 is freeware. You may copy this file freely under original conditions and I retain my copyright. I am the owner of these Cats and I would be glad if you'd let me know where you found them wandering and what they looked like from your point of view.
