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
Shakuon is a writing method that borrows sound rather than the meaning of kanji.
The use of phonetic loan is characterized by borrowing only the sound of a kanji while ignoring its meaning.