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by lyndon_9469 on September 10th, 2004

lyndon_9469

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How and when did Japan receive its name?

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  • by SethNess on September 27th, 2004

    SethNess

    The name "Japan" is actually the Chinese pronunciation of "land of the sun's origin". The Japanese word for this is "Nippon"/"Nihon". I'm sure you can see a vague similarity in the 3 pronunciations.

    Today, the ideographic symbols for Japan are the symbol for a sun (or day), and the symbol for book (or truth). The symbol for book/truth may simply be a shorthand simplification of the VERY similar symbol for "east", represented by the image of a sun behind a tree.

    It's interesting to note that in the case of both China and Japan, famous exports have taken on the same name as the countries. It's no mistake that China was once famous for its "china": fine porcelein exports. The formula was once a closely guarded secret of Chinese manufacturers and exporters, but was eventually reverse-engineered by enterprising Europeans. Likewise, Japan was once famous for its exports of dark, heavily lacquered "Japaned" wood furniture.

    According to one etymologist, "1577, via Port. Japao, Du. Japan, acquired in Malacca from Malay Japang, from Chinese jih pun "sunrise" (equivalent of Japanese Nippon), from jih "sun" + pun "origin." Earliest form in Europe was Marco Polo's Chipangu. Colloquial abbreviation Jap is from 1880, not originally pejorative but became so during World War II. Cultural contact led to japaning "coat with laquer or varnish" (1688), along with japonaiserie (1896, from Fr.), japonica (1819, from variant Japon), etc. Japanese beetle attested from 1919, accidentally introduced in U.S. 1916 in larval stage in a shipment of Japanese iris. Japlish "Japanese with many Eng. words" is from 1960." (The preceding quote is drawn from "etymonline.com")

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