Comments on: Old place names in Japanese for China http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/04/05/old-place-names-in-japanese-for-china/ My life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:44:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Jonathan http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/04/05/old-place-names-in-japanese-for-china/#comment-3990 Jonathan Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:42:22 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=7128#comment-3990 This is a really interesting posting - even though I don't actually read manga and don't know all these references. What about the word "Han" (漢) signifying things/people Chinese? I assuming that it has something to do with the ancient Han Dynasty (漢朝). Do Japanese people ever use this word/character? The Koreans seem to use their own word "Han" to refer to themselves (e.g. 韓國 han-guk) and I would assume there's a connection between this and the old state/kingdom of Han (韓國). If any other readers out there know more about these inter-connections, I'd be very curious to hear more... This is a really interesting posting – even though I don’t actually read manga and don’t know all these references.

What about the word “Han” (漢) signifying things/people Chinese? I assuming that it has something to do with the ancient Han Dynasty (漢朝). Do Japanese people ever use this word/character?

The Koreans seem to use their own word “Han” to refer to themselves (e.g. 韓國 han-guk) and I would assume there’s a connection between this and the old state/kingdom of Han (韓國).

If any other readers out there know more about these inter-connections, I’d be very curious to hear more…

]]> By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/04/05/old-place-names-in-japanese-for-china/#comment-3961 Doug Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:55:47 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=7128#comment-3961 Ha ha ha, I knew about kara-age, though I never understood why the name used the same kanji. Perhaps it was imported then, who knows? Or maybe it's leftover in the Chinese-Japanese lexicon, as Arun pointed out. Ha ha ha, I knew about kara-age, though I never understood why the name used the same kanji. Perhaps it was imported then, who knows? Or maybe it’s leftover in the Chinese-Japanese lexicon, as Arun pointed out.

]]> By: Stephen http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/04/05/old-place-names-in-japanese-for-china/#comment-3959 Stephen Wed, 07 Apr 2010 02:15:18 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=7128#comment-3959 I used to live in 唐人町 tojinmachi in Fukuoka. It is not an uncommon name place name suggesting some history of the area. Some made in China (Tang) terms still in use... 唐揚げ Kara-age fried chicken from China predates KFC 唐薯　Karaimo also called satsumaimo, sweet potato 唐津　Karatsu, a place here in Saga, meaning Port to Tang 唐瓜　Karauri, the term which became キュウリ, cucumber over time Sorry getting hungry, nearly time for lunch Stephen I used to live in 唐人町 tojinmachi in Fukuoka. It is not an uncommon name place name suggesting some history of the area.
Some made in China (Tang) terms still in use…
唐揚げ Kara-age fried chicken from China predates KFC
唐薯　Karaimo also called satsumaimo, sweet potato
唐津　Karatsu, a place here in Saga, meaning Port to Tang
唐瓜　Karauri, the term which became キュウリ, cucumber over time
Sorry getting hungry, nearly time for lunch
Stephen

]]> By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/04/05/old-place-names-in-japanese-for-china/#comment-3957 Doug Tue, 06 Apr 2010 11:07:45 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=7128#comment-3957 Wow, that's a bit of trivia I sure didn't know. That means Southern Chinese dialects still are influenced by the Tang Dynasty of yore, even after so many centuries. I never heard such a term used in standard Mandarin, insofar as I studied in the past, so something's changed over time. I can only guess what. Great info, thanks for passing along. Wow, that’s a bit of trivia I sure didn’t know. That means Southern Chinese dialects still are influenced by the Tang Dynasty of yore, even after so many centuries. I never heard such a term used in standard Mandarin, insofar as I studied in the past, so something’s changed over time. I can only guess what.

Great info, thanks for passing along.

]]> By: arunlikhati http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/04/05/old-place-names-in-japanese-for-china/#comment-3956 arunlikhati Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:30:15 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=7128#comment-3956 These terms are used by Chinese themselves. Southern Chinese dialects in particular have continued to use the term 唐, although perhaps not so much now in 2010. Even until (relatively) recently, Chinese Americans called themselves 唐人, and American Chinatowns were called 唐人街. Nowadays a more common term for Chinatown is 華埠. There’s a touching poem about this change in nomenclature, musing that the difference between the terms was that “the people left.” These terms are used by Chinese themselves. Southern Chinese dialects in particular have continued to use the term 唐, although perhaps not so much now in 2010. Even until (relatively) recently, Chinese Americans called themselves 唐人, and American Chinatowns were called 唐人街. Nowadays a more common term for Chinatown is 華埠. There’s a touching poem about this change in nomenclature, musing that the difference between the terms was that “the people left.”

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