サ゚

See also: サ, ザ, and ツァ

Japanese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [t͡sa̠]

Syllable

サ゚ • (tsa) 

1. (obsolete) The katakana syllable サ゚ (tsa). Its equivalent in hiragana is さ゚ (tsa).

Usage notes

This character was commonly used during the Edo period to transcribe the /tsa/ sound, which is now done with modern-day ツァ. It is thought to have been obsolete by 1840.

The katakana syllabary is used primarily for transcription of foreign language words into Japanese and the writing of gairaigo (loan words), as well as to represent onomatopoeias, technical and scientific terms, and the names of plants, animals, and minerals. It is also occasionally used in some words for emphasis, or to ease reading; katakana may be preferred for words becoming buried in the text if they are written under their canonical form in hiragana. Names of Japanese companies, as well as certain Japanese language words such as colloquial terms, are also sometimes written in katakana rather than the other systems. Formerly, female given names were often written in katakana.^[edit]