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Glossary of Japanese words of Dutch origin

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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.

Numerous exchanges occurred, leading to a branch of Western learning in Japan known as rangaku (蘭学), or "Dutch learning", where the ran (蘭, "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 term English translation of Dutch Meaning of Japanese term Details
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 boor bore drill, bore After 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 chinkityūru (チンキテュール).
dansu ダンス dans dance dance
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 zontaku (ゾンタク). 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 ekisutorakuto (エキストラクト).
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 glas glass (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 zondag Sunday half-day; holiday Compound 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 hysterie hysteria 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 lime Cognate 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 (鎖)).
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 (土, "earth, soil") is a translation of the aarde ("earth, soil") of the Dutch term. First appears in 1877. Now obsolete, replaced by shirika (シリカ) 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, pik house 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

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Language contact in Japan: a socio-linguistic history by Leo Loveday, p.54-55
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj 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. ^ a b c d e "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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b 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

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