noun
Heian-period kana writing
Technical term in Japanese literary history referring to prose written in kana during the Heian period, especially works by women such as The Tale of Genji.
中古文の代表作として『源氏物語』がよく挙げられる。
The Tale of Genji is often cited as a representative work of Heian-period kana writing.
中古文は、当時の貴族女性の生活や心情を生き生きと描いている。
Heian-period kana writing vividly depicts the lives and emotions of aristocratic women of the time.
仮名文 means kana writing in general, whereas 中古文 is a historical category within that tradition.
Compound of 中古 (Heian period) and 文 (writing). The term is a modern scholarly classification.