also: うたがるた · うたカルタ · うたガルタ
utagaruta; traditional waka card matching game
A card game where players match cards with waka poems. Often played during New Year's. The name can be pronounced うたかるた or うたがるた.
We played utagaruta with the family during New Year's.
The reader in utagaruta recites the waka with a distinctive intonation.
Hyakunin Isshu is the specific anthology of 100 poems often used in utagaruta; utagaruta refers to the game itself.
Karuta is the general term for Japanese playing cards; utagaruta is a specific type using waka poems.
Standard mixed kanji-kana spelling; the reading うたかるた is the most common.
Alternate spelling with voiced kana; reading うたがるた.
Katakana variant for かるた; reading うたカルタ.
Katakana variant with voiced kana; reading うたガルタ.
Ateji spelling; rarely used. Can also be read うたがるた.
Compound of 歌 (uta, 'song/poem') and かるた (karuta, from Portuguese 'carta', meaning 'card'). The voicing to がるた is a common rendaku phenomenon.