Glossary of Japanese words of Dutch origin

Last updated

Arrival of a Dutch Ship by Kawahara Keiga. Philipp Franz von Siebold at Dejima with his Japanese wife Kusumoto Otaki and their baby-daughter Kusumoto Ine observing a Dutch ship towed into Nagasaki harbour using a teresukoppu (telescope). Dutch personnel and Japanese women watching an incoming towed Dutch sailing ship at Dejima by Kawahara Keiga.jpg
Arrival of a Dutch Ship by Kawahara Keiga. Philipp Franz von Siebold at Dejima with his Japanese wife Kusumoto Otaki and their baby-daughter Kusumoto Ine observing a Dutch ship towed into Nagasaki harbour using a teresukoppu (telescope).

Japanese words of Dutch origin started to develop when the Dutch East India Company initiated trading in Japan from the factory of Hirado in 1609. In 1640, the Dutch were transferred to Dejima, and from then on until 1854 remained the only Westerners allowed access to Japan, during Japan's sakoku seclusion period.

Contents

Numerous exchanges occurred, leading to a branch of Western learning in Japan known as rangaku (蘭学), or "Dutch learning", where the ran (, "Dutch") in rangaku comes from Oranda, the Japanese word for Holland; gaku (学) is of Sino-Japanese origin and means "learning". [1] In the process, a number of terms were adopted from Dutch into the Japanese language. At one point, some 3,000 words are thought to have been used, especially in the areas of technical and scientific vocabulary. [1] About 160 such words of Dutch origin remain in use today in standard Japanese. [1]

Japanese transliteration ( rōmaji )Japanese term (kanji or kana)original Dutch termEnglish translation of DutchMeaning of Japanese termDetails
arukari [2] アルカリ alkali alkali alkali From Arabic, through Dutch.
arukōru [1] アルコール alcohol alcohol alcohol (chemistry), alcoholic drink [3] [4] From Arabic, through Dutch.
asubesuto [2] アスベスト asbest asbestos asbestos From Greek, through Dutch.
bīru [5] ビール, 麦酒bier beer beer
bisuketto [1] ビスケット beschuit biscuit biscuit Reinforcement of Portuguese biscoito.
bōru [1] ボール boorbore drill, boreAfter 1720.
buriki [2] ブリキ blik tin (can) tinplate [6]
chifusu [2] チフス tyfus typhus typhus From Greek, through Dutch.
chinki [2] チンキ tinctuur tincture tincture Shortened from チンキテュール (chinkityūru).
dansu ダンス dansdancedance
doitsu ドイツ Duits German Germany
dokku ドック dok dock dry dock Also a contraction of ningen dokku ( ja:人間ドック , (literary: human dry dock) routine physical examination).
dontaku [1] ドンタク zondag Sunday Sunday Also occasionally found as ゾンタク (zontaku). Appears from the early Meiji period, after 1868.

(As of 2021) usage reduced to specific terms e.g. Hakata Dontaku.

doronken [2] ドロンケンdronken drunk drunk obsolete
ekisu [2] エキス extract extract extract Shortened from エキストラクト (ekisutorakuto).
erekishiteito [1] エレキシテイト elektriciteit electricity electricity Obsolete, replaced by denki (電気).
erekiteru [2] エレキテル corruption of elektriciteit electricity elekiter A type of electrostatic generator used for electric experiments in the 18th century.
ēteru [1] エーテル ether ether ether, aether From Greek, through Dutch.

"Ethernet" is pronounced īsanetto from English.

garasu [5] ガラス, 硝子glasglass (of a window) glass (the material)
gasu [2] ガス, 瓦斯gas gas gas
giyaman [1] ギヤマンdiamant diamond diamond,

glass (the material)

Obsolete.

From Greek, through Dutch.

gomu [1] ゴム gom, gum rubber rubber
gorofukuren [2] ゴロフクレン, 呉絽服連grofgrein grosgrain grosgrain Obsolete
hamu [1] ハム ham ham ham
handon 半ドン, ハンドンzondagSundayhalf-day; holidayCompound of Japanese han (half) and dontaku (< zondag). This word is no longer commonly used in Japanese.
hatoron [2] ハトロン, パトロン patroon cartridge (firearms) cartridge case (firearms) [7] Obsolete. Only remain in hatoronshi ( ja:ハトロン紙 , kraft paper).
henrūda [2] ヘンルーダ wijnruit common rue common rue
hetto [2] ヘット vet fat beef tallow Cognate with English fat .
hisuterii ヒステリー hysteriehysteria hysteria
hokku [1] [8] ホック hoek hook hook Cognate with English hook .
infuruenza [1] インフルエンザ influenza influenza influenza After 1720. More likely borrowed from English. The term originated in Italian, and became common worldwide in the 18th century via English.
inki [2] インキ inkt ink ink
kamitsure [1] カミツレ kamille camomile camomile From Greek, through Dutch and Chinese. The medial -tsu appears due to the Japanese reading of the Chinese spelling 加密列. [9] After 1720; first imported in 1818, and first attested in 1822. [9]
kantera [2] カンテラ kandelaar candlestick kerosene lamp
kapitan [1] カピタン, 甲比丹kapitein captain (obsolete: captain), chief of Dutch East India Company's post in Japan [10] More likely derived from Portuguese capitão . [10]
karan カラン kraan tap (UK) / faucet (Am.) tap (UK) / faucet (Am.)Cognate with English crane , from the resemblance of the bird's neck to a faucet pipe.
kari [2] カリ, カリウム kali, kalium potassium potassium
karuki [2] カルキ kalk lime (the chemical), chlorinated lime lime (the chemical), chlorinated limeCognate with English chalk .
katēteru [2] カテーテル katheter catheter catheter From Greek, through Dutch.
kechin [1] ケチンketting chain chain After 1720. Now obsolete (replaced by (kusari)).
keido [11] 珪土keiaarde silica silica Calque. The initial element kei is a phonetic borrowing from the kei in the Dutch term keiaarde, and the do in the Japanese (, “earth, soil”) is a translation of the aarde (“earth, soil”) of the Dutch term. First appears in 1877. Now obsolete, replaced by シリカ (shirika) from English silica .
kiruku / koruku [2] キルク / コルク kurk cork cork
kōhī [5] コーヒー, 珈琲koffie coffee coffee From Arabic, through Dutch.
kokku [2] コック kok cook chef [12]
koppu [1] コップ kop cup cup Reinforcement of Portuguese copo.
konpasu [1] コンパス kompas compass compass
korera [2] コレラ cholera cholera cholera From Greek, through Dutch.
kureosōto [2] クレオソート creosoot creosote creosote
madorosu [1] マドロス matroos sailor sailor
masuto [1] マスト mast mast mast
mesu [1] メス mes knife scalpel After 1720.
moruhine [1] モルヒネ morfine morphine morphine After 1720.
morumotto [13] モルモット marmot marmot Guinea pig
nisu [14] ニス vernis varnish varnish
oburāto [2] オブラート oblaat wafer oblaat [15] Also listed in some Japanese sources as deriving from the cognate German term Oblate . [15]
orugōru [5] オルゴール (orgel) muziekdoos(organ) music box(organ) music box
penki [13] ペンキ pek, pikhouse paint house paint
pesuto [1] ペスト pest black death black death After 1720.
pinto [13] ピント punt focus focus Shortened from the longer term brandpunt .
pisutoru [5] ピストル pistool pistol pistol
ponpu [1] ポンプ pomp pump pump After 1720.
ponzu [2] ポン酢 pons ponzu The Dutch term pons for the beverage was already obsolescent by 1864, [16] and was eventually superseded by the term punsch or punch .
randoseru [2] ランドセル ransel backpack randoseru From German Ränzel or Low German rensel, through Dutch.
ranpu [2] ランプ, 洋灯lamp lamp lamp From Greek, through Dutch.
retoruto [2] レトルト retort retort retort, retort pouch
renzu [2] レンズ lens lens lens
safuran [2] サフラン saffraan saffron saffron
saten [2] サテン satijn satin satin
seimi [2] セイミ, 舎密chemie chemistry chemistry Now obsolete, replaced by kagaku ( 化学 ).
shian [2] シアン cyaan cyan cyan
shiroppu [2] シロップ siroop syrup syrup
sukoppu [13] スコップ schop trowel trowel Cognate with English scoop .
supoito [2] スポイト spuit syringe syringe Cognate with English spout .
tarumomētoru [1] タルモメートルthermometer thermometer thermometer From French, through Dutch. After 1720. Now obsolete; replaced by taionkei ( 体温計 ).
teresukoppu [1] テレスコップtelescoop telescope telescope From Italian and Modern Latin, through Dutch. After 1720. Replaced by bōenkyō ( 望遠鏡 ).
yojiumu [2] ヨジウム jodium iodine iodine Now transformed into yōso ( ja:ヨウ素 , iodine).
zukku [2] ズック doek canvas canvas,

canvas shoes [17]

Both Japanese zukku and English duck (“piece of cloth”) are borrowings from Dutch doek . [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Tonkatsu</i> Japanese dish of deep-fried pork

Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish that consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. It involves coating slices of pork with panko, and then frying them in oil. The two main types are fillet and loin. Tonkatsu is also the basis of other dishes such as katsukarē and katsudon.

Round-robin is a document signed by multiple parties in a circle to make it more difficult to determine the order in which it was signed, thus preventing a ringleader from being identified.

Jugemu (寿限無/じゅげむ) is a famous rakugo story, a form of Japanese spoken entertainment. It has a simple story, with the most humorous part being the repetition of a ridiculously long name. It is often used in training for rakugo entertainers.

Nemawashi (根回し) is a Japanese business informal process of laying the foundation for some proposed change or project by talking to the people concerned and gathering support and feedback before a formal announcement. It is considered an important element in any major change in the Japanese business environment before any formal steps are taken. Successful nemawashi enables changes to be carried out with the consent of all sides, avoiding embarrassment.

The Nihon kokugo daijiten (日本国語大辞典), often abbreviated as the Nikkoku (日国) and sometimes known in English as Shogakukan's Japanese Dictionary, is the largest Japanese language dictionary published. In the period from 1972 to 1976, Shogakukan published the 20-volume first edition. The 14-volume second edition was published in the period from November 2000 to December 2001. It includes substantial additions to and improvements over the first edition.

Many Japanese words of Portuguese origin entered the Japanese language when Portuguese Jesuit priests and traders introduced Christian ideas, Western science, technology and new products to the Japanese during the Muromachi period.

Japanese dictionaries have a history that began over 1300 years ago when Japanese Buddhist priests, who wanted to understand Chinese sutras, adapted Chinese character dictionaries. Present-day Japanese lexicographers are exploring computerized editing and electronic dictionaries. According to Nakao Keisuke (中尾啓介):

It has often been said that dictionary publishing in Japan is active and prosperous, that Japanese people are well provided for with reference tools, and that lexicography here, in practice as well as in research, has produced a number of valuable reference books together with voluminous academic studies. (1998:35)

The Amanojaku or Amanjaku is a demon-like creature in Japanese folklore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jōshin'etsu-kōgen National Park</span> National Park in Chūbu, Japan

Jōshin'etsu-kōgen National Park is a national park in the Chūbu region of the main island of Honshū, Japan formed around several active and dormant volcanoes. It spans the mountainous areas of Gunma, Nagano, and Niigata prefectures. The name refers to the two mountain ranges that make up the park. It was divided into two separate areas: the Southern Niigata/North Nagano Area and the East Nagano Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiba-Dogo-Taishaku Quasi-National Park</span> Quasi-National park in Japan

Hiba-Dogo-Taishaku Quasi-National Park is a Quasi-National Park that spans areas of Tottori Prefecture, Shimane Prefecture, and Hiroshima Prefecture, in the western part of the island of Honshu, Japan. It was founded on 24 July 1963 and has an area of 78.08 square kilometres (78,080,000 m2). As its name suggests, the Hiba-Dogo-Taishaku Quasi-National Park is composed of a series of mountains and ravines in the middle of the Chūgoku Mountains. The park has virgin forests of Japanese beeches, Japanese oaks, Japanese horse-chestnuts and interesting ferns. Fauna include the Asiatic black bear, Japanese macaque, mountain hawk eagle and the Japanese giant salamander. Lake Shinryū is also a component of the park.

Japanese exonyms are the names of places in the Japanese language that differ from the name given in the place's dominant language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyo River</span> River in Honshu, Japan

The Toyo River is a river in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It flows into the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Echigo Plain</span> Plain in Niigata Prefecture, Japan

Echigo Plain or Niigata Plain is an alluvial plain that extends from central to northern Niigata Prefecture in Japan. The area of the plain is approximately 2000km2. It is the largest rice-growing area in Japan. The plain was formed by the Agano and Shinano rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tokachi Plain</span> Coastal Plain in Southeastern Hokkaido

Tokachi Plain is a plain facing the Pacific Ocean, located in the southeastern part of Hokkaido. The area of the plain is approximately 3600km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shikoku Mountains</span> Mountain range in Shikoku, Japan

The Shikoku Mountains are a mountain range that runs from east to west in the central part of the Shikoku in Japan. The length of the mountain range is about 250 km (160 mi). The highest peak in the mountain range is Mount Ishizuchi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyushu Mountains</span> Mountain range in central Kyushu, Japan

Kyushu Mountains is a mountain range that runs from northeast to southwest in central Kyushu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dewa Mountains</span> Mountain range in Japan

Dewa Mountains is a mountain range that runs north and south on the west side of the Tohoku region of Japan. The mountain range spans Aomori, Akita, and Yamagata prefectures. The highest peak of the mountain range is Mount Chokai (2,236m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hogetsu Shimamura</span> Japanese critic, novelist and leader of Shingeki

Hōgetsu Shimamura was a Japanese critic, novelist and leader of Shingeki. His real name is Takitaro (滝太郎). He was born in Shimane Prefecture. He graduated from Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō. In 1902 he studied abroad in the United Kingdom and Germany. In 1906, he founded the Bungei Kyōkai with Tsubouchi Shoyo. He presided over Waseda Bungaku and was active in the naturalistic literary movement. In 1913, he established the Geijutsu-za theatre troupe with Sumako Matsui. His main works are Shinbijigaku (新美辞学), Kindai Bungei no Kenkyu (近代文芸之研究) and so on.

<i>Gandō</i>

A gandō was a type of Japanese gyroscopic lantern invented in the early Edo period. Using a unique method of directional light projection, it was comparable in use to a modern flashlight. This type of lantern is also known as a shagandō.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furai</span>

Furai (フライ) is a form of yōshoku developed in the late 19th and early 20th century. The term refers to breaded seafood or vegetables, while breaded meats such as pork and chicken are considered to be another form of yōshoku known as katsu (cutlets).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Language contact in Japan: a socio-linguistic history by Leo Loveday, p.54-55
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Sanseido dual dictionary
  3. "アルコール". デジタル大辞泉 (Digital Daijisen) via Kotobank (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 2020. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  4. "アルコール". 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten) via Weblio (in Japanese). Shogakukan . Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Dutch-Japanese Relations Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine ," Netherlands Consulate General at Osaka-Kobe
  6. "ブリキ". Nihon Kokugo Daijiten Concise edition (精選版 日本国語大辞典) via Kotobank (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 2006. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  7. "ハトロン". Nihon Kokugo Daijiten Concise edition (精選版 日本国語大辞典) via Kotobank (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 2006. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  8. "ホック". 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten) via Kotobank (in Japanese). Shogakukan . Retrieved 2022-07-05.
  9. 1 2 "カミツレ (2)". Nihon Kokugo Daijiten Concise edition (精選版 日本国語大辞典) via Kotobank (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 2006. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
  10. 1 2 Yanai, Kenji (1994). "カピタン". Nihon daihyakkazensho (Nipponica) (日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)) via Kotobank (in Japanese). Shogakukan . Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  11. 1988, 国語大辞典(新装版) (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan , entry available online here
  12. "コック (2)". Nihon Kokugo Daijiten Concise edition (精選版 日本国語大辞典) via Kotobank (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 2006. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Gleeson Introduction to written Japanese, katakana p.36
  14. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 ( NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, ISBN   978-4-14-011112-3
  15. 1 2 Yamane, Nobuko (1994). "オブラート". Nihon daihyakkazensho (Nipponica) (日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)) via Kotobank (in Japanese). Shogakukan . Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  16. Calisch, I.M., ed. (2021) [1864]. "Pons". Nieuw woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal (via dnbl.org) (in Dutch). Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  17. "ズック". Nihon Kokugo Daijiten Concise edition (精選版 日本国語大辞典) via Kotobank (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 2006. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  18. "duck | Search Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2020-10-29.

Further reading