Ateji

From Freepedia

Ateji (当て字 ) meaning 'given characters' are kanji used to write non-Chinese or native Japanese word. The usual method in Japanese is to write loanwords in katakana, but in the past it was considered necessary to have kanji versions of words.

Ateji may be used because of their meaning, pronunciation or both. An example of kanji being used for both their meaning and pronunciation is kurabu 'club', a loanword from English. It is often written 倶楽部 because (1) the kanji can be read in sequence as ku, ra(ku), and bu, and (2) can be interpreted loosely in sequence as 'together', 'fun', 'place'.

Ateji can also be used solely for their pronunciation. The characters for sushi are an example of this.

See also: Nanori.