Japanese words of Portuguese origin
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Many Japanese words of Portuguese origin entered the Japanese language when Portuguese Jesuit priests introduced Christian ideas, Western science and technology, among other things to the Japanese during the Muromachi period (15-16th century).
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[edit] List of loanwords
Many of the first words which were introduced and entered the Japanese language from Portuguese and Dutch are written in kanji or hiragana, rather than katakana, which is the more common way to write loanwords in Japanese in modern times. Kanji versions of the words are ateji, characters that are "fitted" or "applied" to the words by the Japanese, based on either the pronunciation or the meaning of the word.
The sign † shows that the word is a historical, extinct one.
| Japanese Rōmaji | Japanese Script | Japanese Meaning | Pre-modern Portuguese | Modern Portuguese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| arukōru | アルコール | alcohol | alcool | álcool | alcohol | possibly from Dutch |
| † bateren | 伴天連 / 破天連 | a missionary priest (mainly from Jesuit) | padre | padre, pai | priest, father | used in early Christianity |
| battera | ばってら | kind of sushi | bateira | boat | named after its shape | |
| bīdama | ビー玉 | marbles (spheric-shaped) | ---- | berlindes | ---- | abbrev. of bīdoro + tama (Japanese: 'ball'). cf. bīdoro |
| bīdoro | ビードロ | a certain traditional type of glass artifact | vidro | vidro | glass | |
| birōdo | ビロード / 天鵞絨 | velvet | veludo | veludo | velvet | berubetto is also used today. |
| bōro | ボーロ / ぼうろ | a kind of biscuit (tiny bead-like) | bolo | bolo/bola | ball; cake | |
| botan | ボタン / 釦 / 鈕 | button | botão | botão | button | |
| buranko | ブランコ | swing | balanço | balancé, baloiço | swing | |
| charumera | チャルメラ | small double-reed wind instrument | charamela | charamela (caramelo, "caramel", is cognate) | shawm (cf. the cognate chalumeau) | formerly played by Japanese noodle vendors |
| chokki | チョッキ | waistcoat (UK); vest (U.S.) | jaque | colete, jaqueta | waistcoat (UK); vest (U.S.) | Besuto (from English) is common today. |
| furasuko | フラスコ | flask | frasco | frasco | flask | |
| iesu or iezusu | イエス, イエズス | Jesus | Jesu | Jesus | Jesus | More possibly of Dutch origin, as in Dutch Jezus, j is pronounced like the English y. Can also mean "yes" (from English) |
| igirisu | イギリス / 英吉利 | the United Kingdom | inglez | inglês | English (adj); Englishman | |
| † iruman | イルマン / 入満 / 伊留満 / 由婁漫 | missionary next in line to become a priest | irmão | irmão | brother | used in early Christianity |
| jōro | じょうろ / 如雨露 | watering can | jarro | jarro | jug, watering can | "Possibly from Portuguese" (Kōjien dictionary) |
| juban/jiban | じゅばん / 襦袢 | underwear for kimonos | jibão | roupa interior | underwear | French form jupon led to zubon (trousers). |
| kanakin/kanekin | 金巾 / かなきん / かねきん | shirting, percale | canequim | canequim | unbleached muslin/calico | a textile business jargon. |
| † kandeya | カンデヤ | oil lamp | candeia, candela | candeia | candle | extinct as oil lamps went obsolete. Kantera from Dutch kandelaar was also used. |
| † kapitan | 甲比丹 / 甲必丹 | captain (of ships from Europe in The Age of Discovery) | capitão | capitão | captain | extinct word - the English form kyaputen is now used |
| kappa | 合羽 | raincoat | capa | capa (de chuva) | raincoat, coat | reinkōto (from English) is prevalent nowadays. |
| karuta | かるた / 歌留多 | karuta cards | cartas (de jogar) | cartas (de jogar) | (playing) cards | a traditional type of playing cards, largely different from the modern worldwide one. |
| kasutera, kasutēra, kasuteira | カステラ | Kind of sponge cake | (Pão de) Castella | (Pão de) Castela | (Bread of) Castile | Another theory cites Portuguese castelo (castle). |
| † kirishitan | キリシタン / 切支丹 / 吉利支丹 (Also written in the more negative forms 鬼理死丹 and 切死丹 after Christianity was banned by the Tokugawa Shogunate | Christian people in 16-17c (who were severely persecuted by the Shogunate) | christão | cristão | Christian | Today's Christian people are Kurisuchan (from English). |
| kirisuto | キリスト / 基督 | Christ | Christo | Cristo | Christ | |
| kompeitō | 金米糖 / 金平糖 / 金餅糖 | Kind of star-shaped candy | confeito | confeito | confection, candies | (related to confetti) |
| koppu | コップ | cup | copo | copo | cup | another possible origin is kop of Dutch. |
| † kurusu | クルス | cross | cruz | cruz | cross | used in early Christianity, now kurosu from English |
| marumero | マルメロ | quince | marmelo | marmelo | quince | |
| meriyasu | メリヤス / 莫大小 | a kind of knit textile | medias | meias | hosiery, knitting | |
| miira | ミイラ / 木乃伊 | mummy | mirra | mirra | myrrh | Originally, mummies embalmed using myrrh. |
| oranda | オランダ / 和蘭(陀) / 阿蘭陀 | The Netherlands, Holland | Hollanda | Holanda | The Netherlands, Holland | |
| pan | パン | bread | pão | pão | bread | Often wrongly connected to the Spanish pan or the French pain, both with the same meaning. The word was introduced into Japan by Portuguese missionaries.[1] |
| pin kara kiri made | ピンからキリまで | running the whole gamut, jumble of wheat and tares | (pinta, cruz) | (pinta, cruz) | (dot, cross) | literally 'from pin to kiri'. |
| rasha | ラシャ / 羅紗 | a kind of wool woven textile | raxa | feltro | felt | |
| rozario | ロザリオ | rosary | rosario | rosário | rosary | |
| † sabato | サバト | Sabbath | sábado | sábado | Sabbath, Saturday | used in early Christianity (?) |
| saboten | サボテン / 仙人掌 | cactus | sabão | sabão | soap | The derivation is said to come from the soap-like feature of its juice, although there are controversies. cf. shabon. |
| sarasa | 更紗 | chintz | saraça | chintz | ||
| shabon | シャボン | (soap) | sabão | sabão | soap | usually seen in shabon-dama ('soap bubbles') in modern Japanese. |
| subeta | スベタ | (an insulting word for women) | espada | espada | sword | Probably from playing cards. Change history of meaning is uncertain. |
| tabako | タバコ / 煙草 | tobacco, cigarette | tabaco | tabaco | tobacco, cigarette | |
| totan | トタン / 塗炭 | galvanized sheet iron (e.g. corrugated roofing material) | tutanaga | Corrugated galvanised iron | ||
| tempura | 天麩羅 / 天婦羅 | deep-fried seafood/vegetables | tempero, temperar[2][3];tempora | tempero, temperar; tempora | seasoning, to season; times of abstinence from meat | |
| zabon | ざぼん / 朱欒 / 香欒 | shaddock | zamboa | zamboa | shaddock |
[edit] Arigatō
 |
Look up ありがとう in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
It is often suggested that the Japanese word arigatō derives from the Portuguese obrigado, both of which mean "Thank you," but this is demonstrably false. The Japanese phrase arigatō is a shortened form of arigatō gozaimasu, meaning "Thank you". This is a form of an adjective, arigatai, for which written records exist dating back to the Man'yōshū, well before Japanese contact with Portugal.[4]
The full derivation is arigatō < arigatau < arigataku < arigatashi < ari + katashi. The medial -k- drops out from -aku- resulting in /au/. This then becomes /oː/ via regular phonological rules. Ari is a verb meaning "to be" and katashi is an adjective meaning "difficult". The original meaning of "arigatashi" was "difficult to be", ie "rare" and thus "special". This derivation tries to stem the word to its structural meanings and does not consider the current word's sentimental development and appreciated meaning.
Superficial appearances notwithstanding, there is absolutely no linguistic relationship to the Portuguese word obrigado of the same meaning.
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
[edit] Other references
[edit] See also
- Gairaigo
- Japanese words of Dutch origin
- Nippo Jisho, the first Japanese dictionary in a Western language
- False cognate about Arigatō
