Translation problem

[xilaren2046]

hi, there! I am a new member to this forum and I admit I find it very enlightening! Please, can anybody tell me how we say "GREECE" and "GREEK" in nihongo? Thank you in advance!

[Daichi]

Hey,

Greece = Girisha
Greek (person) = Girishajin

I'm not sure how you you would refer to the Greek language.

[Harisenbon]

Daichi,

I betcha a nice shiny yen that it's ギリシャ語 Girishago.

[Daichi]

Harisenbon wrote:
Daichi,

I betcha a nice shiny yen that it's ギリシャ語 Girishago.

This is what I would have expected, but I know there are exceptions to the rule about adding -go to the name of the country. Eigo, for example.

[Harisenbon]

Daichi,

ah, but 英語 is from イギリス、　who's formal name is 英国, so it does make sense. =)

[Daichi]

ah, but 英語 is from イギリス、　who's formal name is 英国, so it does make sense. =)

Thanks, I didn't realise there was a formal name!

[AJBryant]

ah, but 英語 is from イギリス、

Interesting story how that happened.

The original Japanese pronunciation, derived from the Portuguese, was rendered as Egirisu and written -- of course -- in homophonic kanji: 英吉利. The pronunciation somehow mutated from エギリス to イギリス, but the 英 kanji was kept. Thus we have 英国. For the record, both are taken to refer to the UK as a whole rather than just England -- if England alone is meant, it is イングランド, and スコットランド for Scotland and so on.

Tony

[skrhgh3b]

AJBryant wrote:

ah, but 英語 is from イギリス、

Interesting story how that happened.

The original Japanese pronunciation, derived from the Portuguese, was rendered as Egirisu and written -- of course -- in homophonic kanji: 英吉利. The pronunciation somehow mutated from エギリス to イギリス, but the 英 kanji was kept. Thus we have 英国. For the record, both are taken to refer to the UK as a whole rather than just England -- if England alone is meant, it is イングランド, and スコットランド for Scotland and so on.

Tony

say, isn't our word "japan" from the portuguese word from the chinese word for japan? i wish i could remember the specifics, but you have to admit, it's a long way from "nihon" or "nippon" to "japan."

[AJBryant]

say, isn't our word "japan" from the portuguese word from the chinese word for japan? i wish i could remember the specifics, but you have to admit, it's a long way from "nihon" or "nippon" to "japan.

Kinda. Via Italian, actually.

In Pinyin, "Japan" is rendered "Riben" (and, perversely, pronounced /erb'n/, but the "ri" is more of a vibrated z/j/r combination. The historical Chinese pronunciation that would have been heard by the Great Fibber Marco Polo is more or less preserved in the Cantonese /Jihpeng/, rendered then into Italian as Cipangu (pron. /chipangu/) and SOMEHOW mutating into an English Zipang or Zipangu.

It gives me a headache. I prefer "The Land of Wa."

Tony