noun
book written entirely in kanji
Refers to a text written solely with Chinese characters, without kana. Often contrasted with 仮名本 (kana-bon), which uses kana. Used in historical or literary contexts.
See also: 仮名本
この真名本は平安時代に書かれたものだ。
This kanji-only book was written in the Heian period.
真名本と仮名本を比較すると、言語の変化がよくわかる。
Comparing kanji-only books with kana books reveals language changes clearly.
仮名本 is a book written with kana (or mixed kana and kanji), while 真名本 is written entirely in kanji.
Compound of 真名 (mana, 'kanji used phonetically or as characters') and 本 (hon, 'book'). The term 真名 originally referred to Chinese characters as opposed to 仮名 (kana).