Archaic term for hiragana, literally 'women's kana', reflecting the historical association of hiragana with women's writing. The modern standard term is 平仮名 (ひらがな).
See also: 男仮名
In the Heian period, onnagana was used mainly in women's letters and literature.
Archaic term for katakana, literally 'men's kana', contrasting with 女仮名.
Compound of 女 (onna, 'woman') and 仮名 (kana, 'syllabic script'). Historically, hiragana was associated with women's writing, hence the name.