noun Etymology: Japanese, from hira- ordinary + kana syllabary the cursive script that is one of two sets of symbols of Japanese syllabic writing — compare katakana
The cursive formed Japanese kana syllabary. Hiragana is mostly used for grammatical particles, verb-inflection, and Japanese words which are not written in kanji or which are too difficult for an educated person to read or write in kanji. Hiragana are also used for furigana.