Skip to main content

Definitions by Zdenek

Stands for Advanced Technology Extended (PC). Refers to the computer case, power supply and motherboard specifications. The older variety is AT.
When you assemble a machine, the 3 components mentioned above must be all of the same kind, either AT or ATX. The ATX power supply additionally offers a 3.3V power and 5V stand-by for keyboard power-on, Wake-On-LAN and possibly a non-interrupted USB slot. It is also software-driven, while the older AT kind can be only turned on/off manually.
Wow, this AMD K6 board has both AT and ATX power connectors! They have been thinking about everything!
ATX by Zdenek June 23, 2004

katakana 

It is a Japanese syllabary alphabet used to spell out foreign, now mostly English words. Consists of approx. 45 syllables, which can be further modified with accents "=b and °=p, prolongations (nigori) and smaller versions of vowels, ya-yu-yo and tsu. It doesn't allow for an exact transliteration, thus introducing a thick Japanese accent.
George > jio-ji
America > amerika
burger > ba-ga-
Windows > uindo-zu
katakana by Zdenek June 8, 2004

hiragana 

Invented by the Japanese women in the 8th century AD, it can express any native Japanese word. It's useful for writing poems like haiku, as it allows only one way of reading, unlike kanji. It is in much heavier use now, as the kanji stops being as remarkable sign of tough knowledge as before. See also Katakana.
hiragana by Zdenek June 8, 2004

okurigana 

All the suffixes added after a root of a word written in kanji. Used in Japan.
It's -maru in the example.
ha ji
-/-|-
.< | 4 . ma ru
. x . D
okurigana by Zdenek June 8, 2004

harakiri 

The most (in)famous kind of Japanese suicide. As it says, I'm slitting my stomach, it refers to this gruesome kind of killing oneself.
He was not able to stand the pressure of the society, so he decided to solve the problems in an "honorable" way.
harakiri by Zdenek June 8, 2004
Most of the kanji characters have more than just one (Chinese) reading in Japan. And the Japanese way of reading it is called Kun-yomi. It's written in Hiragana for the kids (likely for this ookii=big symbol) or for artistic purposes.
--+--
. A . . . oo.kii
_/ \_
kunyomi by Zdenek June 8, 2004
A reading of the Kanji characters taken from China and loosely understood. Explained in katakana for educational purposes. See also kunyomi.
--+--
. A . . . DAI
_/ \_

See also kunyomi for the other reading.
onyomi by Zdenek June 8, 2004