noun
phonetic loan; using kanji for sound only
Technical term in Japanese historical linguistics. Refers to the practice in Man'yōgana where a kanji is used solely for its Chinese-derived sound to write a native Japanese word, ignoring the kanji's meaning. Primarily encountered in discussions of the Man'yōshū and early writing systems.
See also: 万葉仮名
万葉仮名では、借音によって「やま」を「也麻」と書くことがある。
In Man'yōgana, やま is sometimes written as 也麻 through phonetic loan.
借音の用法は、漢字の意味を無視して音だけを借りる点が特徴だ。
The use of phonetic loan is characterized by borrowing only the sound of a kanji while ignoring its meaning.
Compound of 借 (borrow) and 音 (sound), referring to the borrowing of a kanji's Chinese-derived sound to represent a native Japanese word.