The study of the origin of words and the historical development of their meanings.
9
votes
1answer
188 views
Was sake always called nihonshu?
Was nihonshu (what English refers to as "sake") always called nihonshu, or was it only called that once western alcoholic beverages were introduced to Japan?
13
votes
3answers
611 views
Historical differences between colors that are i-adjectives and those that are simply nouns
EDIT: Started a bounty with hope of getting more definitive and elaborate answers, e.g. timeline of when color names started being used in Japan.
In Japanese language, there are colors that are ...
9
votes
1answer
220 views
Why did オレンジ replace 橙【だいだい】?
This question about colours got me thinking:
Why, and how, did オレンジ come to replace 橙【だいだい】 to refer to the colour orange?
It seems weird to me that a 外来語【がいらいご】(word taken from a foreign language) ...
10
votes
3answers
267 views
The etymology of 関手【かんしゅ】
In Japanese mathematics, the word ‘functor’ is translated as 関手【かんしゅ】. What is the etymology of this word?
I suspect that it is a pun on 関数 (function). This leads to two further questions:
Why 関手 ...
9
votes
2answers
557 views
About 「同じ」 {onaji} and 「同じく」 {onajiku}
As far as I know, 「同じ」 {onaji} is not a 形容詞 {keiyoushi} (-i adjective) so how does it become 「同じく」 {onajiku}? Or does {onajiku} not come from {onaji}?
Also, are there any other non i-adjectives that ...
17
votes
4answers
378 views
What are the origins of ヶ?
The ヶ in e.g. 一ヶ月 is a bit of an odd character - it looks a lot like a small version of the katakana ケ, but is it derived from that katakana originally? Or is it a normal kanji? Or is it something ...
11
votes
2answers
167 views
What are the origins of ド when used as emphasis, and is it always negative?
Sometimes I've seen ド as a prefix that adds emphasis to words. So saying someone is ドバカ is saying that they are much more stupid than just バカ.
I'm wondering what the origin of ド in this context is. ...
7
votes
3answers
337 views
Are there any common Japanese words which were borrowed from Ainu or other indigenous languages?
I know plenty of Japanese words that came from English and a few from other European languages (obviously tons from Chinese), but what about words from Japan's indigenous languages such as Ainu? Also ...
6
votes
1answer
148 views
regarding the kanjis 嗚呼; 於乎; 於戯; 嗟乎; 嗟夫; 吁; 嗟; 噫; 鳴呼
This question has 2 parts.
Why is it that ああ has so many different kanji 嗚呼; 於乎; 於戯; 嗟乎; 嗟夫; 吁; 嗟; 噫; 鳴呼 (source)
and is the average japanese (16 yr old and above) able to recognize them all?
9
votes
4answers
266 views
Etymology of 右に出る
What is the etymology of 右に出る, as in 「右に出る者はいない」? What on earth makes the right superior to the left?
Relatedly, is 左に出る ever used to mean "inferior to"?
21
votes
2answers
854 views
Where does “もしもし” (moshimoshi) for answering the telephone come from?
Does the term "もしもし" (moshimoshi) predate the telephone? Does it have any use besides answering the phone? Where does it come from, is it just a reduplication of "もし" (moshi) "if", and if so how does ...
8
votes
1answer
194 views
Why is 五右衛門 read “goemon”?
Why is the name 五右衛門 read as ごえもん?
How can the three kanji 五右衛 be read with only two syllables?
7
votes
2answers
161 views
Origin/etymology of こころ～ words
There are three unique words that begin with こころ～:
快い （こころよい）、 試みる （こころみる）、 志 （こころざし）
What is the origin of these words in relation to "heart/spirit/mind", if any??? Or is this just something ...
13
votes
1answer
202 views
What are the origins of the 「こそあど」 demonstratives?
I've noticed the following sets of words that seem to have a very obvious pattern, and, of course, their meanings are very closely related:
これ、 それ、 あれ、 どれ
この、 その、 あの、 どの
ここ、 そこ、 あそこ、 どこ
What are ...
13
votes
2answers
327 views
Where does the word ダイヤ come from that means “train schedule”?
For the longest time I've been hearing the word ダイヤ and just always assumed it meant "Diamond", but found recently it all means "train schedule". My question is, what word/language did this word ...
5
votes
3answers
335 views
What is the meaning and etymology of 蝶よ花よ?
In a book I was reading, a tomboyish character complained about the expectations her parents had of her as their only daughter. She said:
「蝶よ花よと育てたかったらしいんだけど」
EDICT defines 蝶よ花よ as "bringing up ...
2
votes
2answers
181 views
What was the origin for the term 水色 to be associated with youth, adolescence and puberty?
I am particularly interested in the phrase 「水色時代」. Did it come from the old manga that used the phrase as its title, or has the phrase been carrying that particular cultural connotation long before ...
12
votes
5answers
236 views
What is the origin and usage of the word いい?
According to Denshi Jisho, いい and よい share the same Kanji, and the both roughly mean "good". Why are there two different pronunciations for the same meaning, and what are some ways to be able to ...
