Katakana Analysis (Final)

Two phrases that I found interesting in Katakana are スズキ and ヒト.


Suzuki seems to be in katakana to emphasize the fact that it is not just a name (like the name of a person) but the name of company.  The company is internationally known and is certainly not limited to Japan, so writing the company name in katakana, as opposed to kanji, probably implies this as well (since kanji is, at the very least, incredibly Japanese/Asian looking).  This seems supported by the fact that Suzuki also writes their logo in romaji, so that Japanese people know that the company has strong international/western ties, and so that it can be recognized by those who do not speak/read Japanese.  (Of course, this is all aside from the fact that it might just look cooler to use Katakana for international reasons.)


The usage of Hito in Katakana is a little more subtle, where writing it in Katakana implies a specific scientific usage, and not just referencing a random person.  In general, words written in katakana seem to be written that way as some type of emphasis.  Regardless of the intention (to look cool, to imply something western, etc), words in katakana, surrounded by kanji or hiragana, stand out.  So, one way or an another, the writer puts emphasis on that word and wants to draw your attention to it by writing it in katakana (perhaps with the exception of loan words).


Different textbooks explain Katakana usages in various ways because there are so many potential reasons to use Katakana (many different aspects of the language to emphasize).  It can be used for foreign words, sounds, names, and even to show that person writing or speaking is not native Japanese.  Each textbook would focus on the aspects they find most prevalent and easy to understand from a foreign perspective.