Notations of “kirakira name” and their frequencies of usage

Analyses of newspapers and academic literature

Abstract

A previous study reported that “kirakira name (both in katakana)” and “DQN name (DQN in capital alphabet and name in katakana)” were the most frequent notations in representative dictionaries and encyclopedias. However, it explored only dictionaries and encyclopedias, which made it unclear whether the same pattern was found in other media. Therefore, this study examined variations of notations and their frequencies of usage in mass media and academic community by analyzing newspapers and academic literature. Results showed that consistent with dictionaries and encyclopedias, “kirakira name (both in katakana)” and “DQN name (DQN in capital alphabet and name in katakana)” were the most frequent notations and similar notations were rarely used. In contrast, in newspapers, to avoid negative nuances, “DQN name (DQN in capital alphabet and name in katakana)” and its similar notations were never used. Moreover, to reduce the numbers of letters and sounds, abbreviated notations of “kirakira name (both in katakana)” were sometimes used. Understanding these differences by medium enables us to clarify the meaning and function of kirakira name and DQN name and efficiently use different methods to search and mention them depending on medium.