katakana
noun /ˌkætəˈkɑːnə/
/ˌkætəˈkɑːnə/
[uncountable] (from Japanese)- a set of symbols used in Japanese writing, used especially to write foreign words or to represent noises
compare hiragana(日语中的)片假名 词源early 18th cent.: Japanese, literally ‘side kana’ (syllabic writing).