Japanese words of Portuguese origin

Many Japanese words of Portuguese origin entered the Japanese language when Portuguese Jesuit priests introduced Christian ideas, Western science, technology and new products to the Japanese during the Muromachi period (15-16th century).

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach Japan and the first to establish direct trade between Japan and Europe, in 1542. During the sixteenth and seventeenth century, Portuguese Jesuits had undertaken a great work of Catechism, that ended only with religious persecution in the early Edo period (Tokugawa Shogunate). The Portuguese were the first to translate the Japanese to a Western language, in the Nippo Jisho dictionary (日葡辞書, literally the "Japanese-Portuguese Dictionary") or "Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam" compiled by Portuguese Jesuit João Rodrigues, and published in Nagasaki in 1603, who also wrote a grammar "Arte da Lingoa de Iapam" (日本大文典, nihon daibunten). The dictionary of Japanese - Portuguese explained 32,000 Japanese words translated into Portuguese. Most of these words refer to the products and customs that first came to Japan via the Portuguese traders.

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. One of these examples is the word "Chá", meaning tea and so appreciated by the British; it was introduced to them by the Portuguese.

The † indicates the word is archaic and no longer in use.

Japanese Rōmaji	Japanese Script	Japanese Meaning	Pre-modern Portuguese	Modern Portuguese	English	Notes
arukōru	アルコール	alcohol	alcool	álcool	alcohol	originally from Arabic, term entered Japanese via the West, possibly from Dutch
† bateren	伴天連 / 破天連	a missionary priest (mainly from Jesuit)	padre	padre	priest	used in early Christianity
battera	ばってら	kind of sushi	bateira	barco	boat	named after its shape
bīdama	ビー玉	marbles (spheric-shaped)	----	berlindes, bola-de-gude, bolinha-de-gude	----	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	cake	keiki (from english) is most used today.
botan	ボタン / 釦 / 鈕	button	botão	botão	button
buranko	ブランコ	swing	balancé, baloiço	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.); Jacket	jaque	colete, jaqueta	waistcoat (UK); vest (U.S.); Jacket	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 íntima	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	vela, 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 French form kyaputen from capitaine [ka.pi.tɛn] is now used. Note the palatalized /kja/ syllable in both French and Japanese.
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 ones
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 16-17th cent. (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
† kurusu	クルス	cross	cruz	cruz	cross	used in early Christianity, now kurosu from English
kyarameru / karameru	キャラメル / カラメル	caramel	caramelo	caramelo	caramel
manto	マント	cloak	manto	manto	Cloak
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
mīra	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.
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;tempora	tempero, temperar; tempora	seasoning, to season; times of abstinence from meat
zabon	ざぼん / 朱欒 / 香欒	shaddock	zamboa	zamboa	shaddock

Arigatō

It is often suggested that the Japanese word arigatō derives from the Portuguese obrigado (meaning oblidged) , both of which is used as "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.

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", i.e. "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.

References

Other references

• Japanese words of Portuguese origin

See also

• Gairaigo
  • List of gairaigo and wasei-eigo terms
• Japanese words of Dutch origin
• Nippo Jisho, the first Japanese dictionary in a Western language
• False cognate about Arigatō