Japanese Contributions to English Vol. 4

Hello, hitobito. (Look it up!) It’s time for another installment of…something. Will this be the last one? Will we learn more sushi-related words? Tune in to find out, and don’t touch that mouse (except to scroll). Man, I’m good! I should write radio serials!

行きましょう!

• Ninja- A warrior that has been trained in ninjutsu, assassination, espionage, and stealth. Derived from- Ninja (忍者) Meaning “Endure/Forbear Person”, or “One who Endures”.
• Ninjutsu- A Japanese martial art used by ninja that focuses on espionage and gathering information, as well as misdirection. Derived from- Ninjutsu (忍術) Meaning “Endure/Forbear Technique/Art”.
• Ninpo- Another word for ninjutsu. Derived from- Ninpō (忍法) Meaning “Endure/Forbear Method”.
• Nip- An offensive slur (redundance!) for a Japanese person, mainly in and around WWII. Derived from- Nippon (日本) Meaning “Japan”.
• Nippo– The adjective “Japanese” in its combining form. Derived from- Nippon (日本) Meaning “Japan”.
• Nippon- A somewhat archaic word for Japan. Derived from- Nippon (日本) Meaning “Japan”.
• Noh- A kind of Japanese musical play or drama. Derived from- Nō (能) Meaning “Function/Talent/Use/Ability/Skill/Capacity”.
• Nori- A kind of seaweed made into sheets for making sushi. Derived from- Nori (海苔) Meaning “Sea Moss/Dried Seaweed/Ocean Moss”.
• Nunchuck(s)/Nunchaku- A weapon consisting of two sticks joined by a chain. Derived from- Nunchaku (ヌンチャク) which is a transliteration of Min Nan Chinese “nn̄g-chiat-kùn” (两節棍) Meaning “Two Stick(s)”.
• Obi- A wide sash or belt for securing a kimono. Derived from- Obi (帯) Meaning “Sash/Band/Belt”.
• Oni- A Japanese demon or evil spirit; pseudoantonym to Kami. Derived from- Oni (鬼) Meaning “Demon/Ogre/Ghost/Evil Spirit”.
• Onigiri- A rice ball. Derived from- Onigiri (お握り) Meaning “Your Grip”; cognate with Nigiri. It can be translated as “Hand-rolled Sushi”.
• Onsen- A Japanese hot spring, usually with bathing implements. Derived from- Onsen (温泉) Meaning “Warm/Lukewarm Spring/Fountain”.
• Origami- The traditional Japanese art of paper folding, or an art piece made by this technique. Derived from- Origami (折り紙) Meaning ” Fold/Bend Paper”.
• Osaka- A city and a prefecture on Honshu, Japan, and the name of many restaurants in the USA. Derived from- Ōsaka (大阪) Meaning “Great/Big Hill(side)/Slope”.
• Otaku- *Grunt* In the anime and manga fandom, an anime, manga, or video game fan. Derived from- Otaku (御宅) Meaning “Your House/Home”. Ohh, have I got something to say about this. The term used to be honorific, but it degenerated into- you know what, just read it here.
• Pachinko- A parlor game similar to pinball which is popular in Japan. Derived from- Pachinko (パチンコ) This requires another compound explanation. Pachin (パチン
• Panko- Japanese flaky bread crumbs, often used for frying. Derived from- Panko (パン粉) Meaning “Bread Powder/Dust/Meal/Flour”. First we have Pan (パン) Meaning “Bread”. Note that this is in katakana. This is because it’s a loanword from some European language. Many languages use it, so I can’t tell you which. Anyway, there’s also Ko (粉) Meaning “Flour/Meal/Powder/Dust”.
• Rendaku- *Push up glasses, glint* A phenomenon in the Japanese language where the second consonant of a word changes to a usually “softer” form e.g. 時時 (Tokidoki). Derived from-Rendaku (連濁) Meaning “Sequential Voicing”.
• Ricksha(w)- A two-wheeled carriage pulled by a person; jinriksha. Derived from- Jinrikisha (人力車) Meaning literally “Human/Man Power/Strength Car/Vehicle” or cleaner “Manpower Carriage”.
• Romaji- The sytem of transcription of Japanese into the Latin alphabet; see pinyin. Derived from- Rōmaji (ローマ字) Meaning “Rome/Roman Character(s)/Letter(s)/Alphabet”.
• Ronin- A masterless, usually wandering samurai. Derived from- Rōnin (浪人) Meaning “Wasteful/Unrestrained/Reckless Person”.
• Sai- A small, three-pronged metal weapon. Derived from- Sai (釵) Meaning “(Ornamental) Hairpin”.
• Sake- A traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice; rice wine. Derived from- Sake (酒) Meaning “Alcohol/Liquor/Booze/Spirits”.
• Salaryman- A worker or employee (usually white-collar) whose livelyhood depends on a fixed income, and who works long hours with an insignificant position. Derived from- Sararīman (サラリーマン) I think you guys are smart enough to figure this etymology out.
• -Sama- *Sigh* In the anime and manga fandom, a suffix used to convey respect or honor. Derived from (grrrrr) -Sama (-様) which is a suffix used to denote respect or honor. It also implies a lowness on the part of the speaker, and is altogether not a word that should be thrown around.
• Samurai- A soldier of noble birth who served a daimyo and followed the bushido code in feudal Japan. Derived from- Samurai (侍) Meaning “Warrior/Samurai”, or in the past “Serve/Wait On/Attend”.
• -San- *SIGH* In the anime and manga fandom, a neutral suffix with neutral politeness, often used to try to sound Japanese! Derived from- -San (-さん) Meaning “Mr./Ms./Mrs.”.
• Sashimi- A Japanese delicacy consisting of thinly cut slices of fish or meat. Derived from- Sashimi(刺身) Meaning “Thorn/Splinter/Piece/Sliver Body”.
• Satori- In Zen Buddhism, a sudden feeling of enlightenment or understanding. Derived from- (悟り) Meaning “Understanding/Enlightenment/Comprehension”.
• Satsuma- A Japanese mandarin orange. Derived from- Satsuma (薩摩), a province where they were grown.
• Sayonara- An informal word for goodbye. Derived from- Sayōnara (さようなら) Meaning “Goodbye/Adieu/Farewell”.
• Sega- A (failing) Japanese video and arcade game company. Derived from- Sega (セガ) which is an abbreviation of the English “Service Games”. This is because the earliest products were marketed to American servicemen stationed on military bases. Fun fact- Sega started in Honolulu, Hawaii.
• Seifuku- A Japanese school uniform based on that of a sailor. Derived from- Seifuku (制服) Meaning “Government/System/Law Uniform”.
• Sempai/Senpai- The mentor in a mentor-mentee relationship; senior; opposite of kohai. Derived from- Senpai (先輩) Meaning “Senior/Elder/Superior”.
• Sen- A unit of Japanese currency, worth one-hundredth of a yen; somewhat like a penny. Derived from- Sen (銭) Meaning “Money/Sen”.
• Senryu- A haiku-like, satirical poem with up to seventeen syllables. Derived from- Senryū (川柳) Meaning “River Willow”.
• Sensei- A martial arts instructor, also the title used for them. Derived from- Sensei (先生) Meaning “Teacher/Doc/Master”. The kanji literally mean “Previous/Past/Former Life”. In spite of that, this is often translated as “One Who Has Come Before”. Well, I think it should mean “Past Life”.
• Seppuku- Ritual suicide by disembowelment with a blade, performed mostly by samurai. Formerly a means of capital punishment; harakiri. Derived from- Seppuku (切腹) Meaning “Cut/Slice Belly/Stomach”. If you notice, this (the word) is just an inverted version of harakiri.
• Shiatsu- A kind of massage utilising the thumbs and palms. Derived from-Shiatsu (指圧) Meaning “Finger Pressure
• Shiba Inu- A small Japanese breed of dog formerly used for hunting. Derived from- Shiba Inu (柴犬) Meaning “Brushwood/Firewood Dog”. This refers to the dog’s brown-to-reddish-brown color. One of these dogs is the subject of the internet meme “Doge”.
• Shiitake- A kind of wide, brown, edible mushroom. Derived from- Shītake (椎茸) Meaning “Shii (Japanese Chinquapin) Mushroom”.
• Shinjitai- The new, simplified characters used after education reforms in 1947; antonym to Kyujitai. Derived from- Shinjitai (新字体) Meaning “New Character Format”.
• Shinobi- A male ninja. Derived from- Shinobi (忍び) Meaning “Sneak/Hide/Steal/Endure/Put up with”.
• Shinto- An animist Japanese religion focusing on ancestor and nature veneration. Derived from- Shintō (神道) Meaning “God/Spirit Way/Path”; “Way of the Gods”.
• Shogi- A Japanese variant of chess. Derived from- Shōgi (将棋) Meaning “Leader/Commander/General Chess”. I still don’t know what general means!
• Shogun- The supreme military leader of feudal Japan. Derived from- Shōgun (将軍) Meaning “Leader/General Troop/Army”.
• Shojo- A genre of anime and manga targeted at girls 10-18 years old, like romance and emotional things. Derived from- Shōjo (少女) Meaning “Little Girl” or “Young Lady”.
• Shonen- A genre of anime and manga targeted at boys 10-18 years old,like action and machinery. Drived from- Shōnen (少年) Meaning literally “Little/Small Year”, but less literally meaning “Boy/Young Man”. Perhaps this is because a young boy has only been here a few years.
• Shuriken- A small multi-pointed throwing dart or blade used by ninja and samurai; throwing star. Derived from- Shuriken (手裏剣) Meaning “Hand Back Blade/Sword”.
• Skosh- An informal word for “a little bit” or “a small amount”. Derived from-Sukoshi (少し) Meaning “(A) Little/Few”.
• Soba- Brown Japanese buckwheat noodles. Derived from- Soba (蕎麦) Meaning “Buckwheat Wheat/Barley”. Redundant much?
• Soy- A sauce made from fermented soybeans, water, and salt; soy sauce or the soybean or soy product in general. (Man, that’s a lot of soy!) Derived from- (Satsuma Dialect) Soi (醤油) Meaning “Jam/Paste Oil”. The paste or jam is implied to be that of the soybean.
• Sudoku- A Japanese number puzzle with nine rows and columns, all of which must be filled correctly. Derived from- Sūdoku (数独) Meaning “Number/Digit Single/Alone”; “Single Number”.
• Sumo- A traditional Japanese form of wrestling where the combatants lose if a part of their body touches outside the ring, or one of the wrestlers themselves. Derived from- Sumō (相撲) Meaning “Mutually Attack/Rush at”.
• Sushi- Japanese cuisine consisting of vinegared, sticky white rice and meat, fish, or vegetables wrapped in seaweed. Derived from- Sushi (寿司) Meaning “Long Life/Longevity Manage/Control”. This, it should be obvious, is ateji. The whole thing originates from Sushi (酸し) Meaning “Sour” (because of the archaic fermentation method and the vinegar).

This is it for right now, but please enjoy these etymologies, and thank you all for reading. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to have a skosh of sushi, then play some Sega, so sayonara!