English in Japanese

[Douglas G. Wilson]

Since English is the world language, elements of English have been
infiltrating other languages to a considerable extent. Japan has been very
receptive to English/American imports of THIS type -- including not only
lexical items but also grammatical ones. I guess Japan is part of the
world, and entitled to use the world language as it sees fit. I haven't
heard much whingeing about this from Japan (in contrast to another highly
respected nation which shall remain sans nom).

There are thousands of these items. I think the English-origin fraction of
the Japanese lexicon may be approaching or passing 10%. I would appreciate
direction to a good general reference on the subject.

I will give some examples which I have found interesting/amusing. Please
pardon any transliteration or other errors. Several I just heard of
recently. Some are clearly common, others may be restricted or
idiosyncratic. My exposure to Japan is largely via the Web, so I may have
some skewed ideas.

"Hoomu" = "home" as in "home run", "home plate" (baseball).

"Hoomu" = "home" as in "home for the aged", "home for the insane".

"Hoomu" = "[railroad] platform" -- standard Japanese. [From English "home"
(of the train) or from the 2nd syllable of English/French "platform(e)"?]

"Basu" = "bath" (in the Western style) -- standard Japanese.

"Basu" = "bus" -- standard Japanese.

"Basu" = "bass" (musical instrument or part) [also "beesu"].

"Terebi" = "televi", abbreviation meaning "television" -- standard
Japanese. [Compare "TV", "telly" in English.]

"Apaato" = "apart", abbreviation for "apartment", meaning "apartment
[building]" -- standard Japanese. Also ...

"Manshoon" = "mansion", meaning "apartment [building]" -- standard
Japanese. [This one gives rise to at least one rude pun involving "man" as
an abbreviation of a conventional Japanese word for female genitalia.]

"Sekuhara" = "sek hara", abbreviation for "sexual harassment" -- a recent
import from the US, I think. [Is the world shrinking, or what?]

"Kogaaru" = "ko gal" = Japanese "ko" (= "little") + English "girl",
referring to young women's style/fashion in recent years in Japan. [I don't
understand the exact sense of this one, but it is common. I have the
impression that a young Japanese woman with ash-gray or otherwise
unnaturally-colored hair might be a "ko gal".]

"Rorikon" = "Loli-con", abbreviation of "rorita-konpurekkusu" = "Lolita
complex", meaning a man's inclination toward young girls or very young
women -- from Nabokov's novel "Lolita". [This is common enough that it is
sometimes alluded to by 'rori' alone or by 'konpurekkusu' alone.]

"Chirarizumu" = "chirarism" = Japanese "chira[ru]" (?) (= "glimpse") +
English "-ism", meaning a man's desire/compulsion to look up women's
skirts. [Is there an equivalent word in American? If not, there should be.]

"Deniru", conjugated as a Japanese verb, = "to denny", i.e., "to patronize
[go to/eat at] Denny's [restaurant]".

"Otomecchikku" = "otometic" = Japanese "otome" (= "young girl") + English
"-tic" (variant of "-ic"), meaning "girlish"/"demure"/"cutesy". [A pun on
"automatic", I suppose.]

"Aburagishi" = "aburaggish" = Japanese "aburagi" (= "oil') + English
"-ish", meaning "greasy[-skinned]". [I have also heard "oilish" = "greasy".]

"Binbou" = "bimbo" = "poor" (i.e., in poverty) -- 'native' Japanese (an old
Chinese import, I think) -- but ...
"Binbaa" = "bimber" with English comparative "-er", = "poorer";
"Binbesuto" = "bimbest" with English superlative "-est", = "poorest". [This
is NOT how comparatives and superlatives are formed in Japanese!]

"Sukinshippu" = "skinship", meaning a loving touch between mother and baby.
[My favorite so far: isn't it charming? 'Skin' + 'kinship', I guess. We
should import it into American!]

-- Doug Wilson