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Which Japanese words come from Portuguese?
Many Portuguese words entered Japanese when Jesuit priests from Portugal introduced Christian ideas and things to the Japanese during the Muromachi period (1337-1573). Here is a list of some of them which have survived until the present day. Although these words are all gairaigo, some of them have kanji. See 1.2.6. Why do some gairaigo words have kanji?.
(Arigatō does not come from Portuguese. See 4.1. Is arigatō related to Portuguese “obrigado”?)
Words of disputed origin
The origin of some words such as saboten, “cactus” and buranko, “swing” is disputed, but according to some explanations they may have come from Portuguese.
List of words of Portuguese origin
Here is a list of some words from Portuguese which have survived until the present day.
| Japanese (rōmaji) | Japanese (kanji/kana) | Original Portuguese (from Kōjien) | Modern Portuguese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bateren | 伴天連 ▽破天連 バテレン | padre | padre, pai | priest, father | |
| biidoro | ビードロ | vidro | vidro | glass | |
| birōdo | 天鵞絨 ビロード | veludo | veludo | velvet | 天鵞絨 may also be read as てんがじゅう, the on’yomi reading (Daijirin, Kōjien). May have come from the Spanish velludo (Kōjien lists both options) |
| bōro, bōru | ボーロ ボール | bolo | bolo | cake | |
| botan | 釦 鈕 ボタン | botão | botão | button | |
| charumera, charumeru | ▽哨吶 チャルメラ ▽チャルメル | charamela | charamela | shawm | |
| chokki | チョッキ | jaqueta | colete | waistcoat (UK English); vest (US English). | Source language and exact source word uncertain. |
| furasuko | フラスコ | frasco | frasco | flask | |
| Igirisu | イギリス | inglez | inglês | England/The UK | In Portuguese, inglês means English or Englishman. In Japanese, igirisu means ‘The United Kingdom’. |
| iruman | ▽入満 ▽伊留満 ▽由婁漫 イルマン | irmão | irmão | brother | Term used in early Japanese Christianity; missionary next in line to become a priest |
| jōro | 如雨露 ▽如露 じょうろ | jorro | jarro | watering can | Kōjien says this origin is one theory. Daijirin also gives the Portuguese jorro as a possible origin. |
| jiban, juban | 襦袢 ジバン ジュバン | gibão | gibão | underwear | In Portuguese, the word “gibão” means “jerkin” (in some cases, “doublet”), rather than “underwear”, the latter too generic a term. |
| kapitan | ▽甲比丹 ▽甲必丹 カピタン | capitão | capitão | captain | |
| kanakin, kanekin | 金巾 ▽かなきん ▽かねきん | canequim | unbleached muslin/calico | Not used in present-day Portuguese. | |
| kappa | 合羽 カッパ | capa | capa (de chuva) | raincoat | |
| karumera | カルメラ | caramelo | caramelo | caramel | Daijirin but not Kōjien notes the Portuguese caramelo as a source for this word. |
| karuta | 歌留多 ▽加留多 骨牌 カルタ | carta | cartas (de jogar) | playing cards | |
| kirishitan | 切支丹 ▽吉利支丹 キリシタン | cristão | cristão | Christian | |
| kirisuto | 基督 キリスト | Cristo | Cristo | Christ | Also kurisuto クリスト |
| konpeitō | 金米糖 金平糖 ▽金餅糖 コンペイトー | confeito | confeito | A kind of star-shaped candy. | The modern Portuguese word “confeito” more commonly means “sugar-plum” or “comfit”, though it also signifies a small candy made with hardened melted sugar, to which various dyes or ingredients are added, sold in wrapped paper. In this case, it is also called “rebuçado”. “Confeito” is also related to the English word “confetti”. |
| kurusu | クルス | cruz | cruz | cross | See ピンからキリまで, キリ is said to be a corruption of クルス. |
| marumero | 木瓜 マルメロ | marmelo | marmelo | quince | 木瓜 may also be read as ぼけ. |
| meriyasu | 莫大小 ▽目利安 メリヤス | meias | meias | hosiery, knitting | In Portuguese, meias means “socks”. |
| miira | 木乃伊 ミイラ | mirra | mirra | mummy (embalmed human) | In Portuguese, mirra means “myrrh”. |
| oranda | 和蘭 阿蘭陀 ▽和蘭陀 オランダ | Olanda | Holanda | Holland | |
| pan | 麺麭 ▽麪包 パン | pão | pão | bread | |
| pin kara kiri made | ピンからキリまで | pinta, cruz | pinta, cruz | completely, utterly | The pin and kiri are said to have come from Portuguese. |
| rasha | 羅紗 ラシャ | raxa | raxa | felt | |
| rozario | ロザリオ | rosario | rosário | rosary | |
| sabato | サバト | sábado | sábado | Saturday | Kōjien also notes the Dutch sabbat as a possible source for this word. |
| sarasa | 更紗 サラサ | saraça | saraça | chintz | Not used in modern Portuguese. |
| shabon | シャボン | sabão | sabão | soap | Commonly used in the word shabon-dama, “soap bubble”, in present-day Japanese. |
| shōro | ショーロ | choro | choro | weeping | |
| subeta | スベタ | espada | espada | Sword (in playing cards, original use) Ugly faced woman Worthless card (in a type of card game) Boring person | Not in very common use in modern Japanese. |
| tabako | 煙草 ▽莨 タバコ | tabaco | tabaco | tobacco | Tabako also means “cigarettes” in present-day Japanese. |
| totan | トタン | tutanaga | tutanaga | zinc | Now used to mean galvanized sheet iron (e.g. corrugated roofing material) in Japanese. In Portuguese, “tutanaga” is a whitish alloy made of copper, zinc and nickel to which bits of iron, silver or arsenium are added (i.e., not simply ‘zinc’). It is considered a Chinese invention, though Portuguese inherited the word via Persian “tutia-nak”, meaning “zinc oxide”. |
| tempura | 天麩羅 天婦羅 てんぷら | têmporas | tempero | tempura | Tempero is Portuguese for spice or seasoning, but the Japanese word tempura means battered and deep-fried fish or vegetables. |
| zabon | 朱欒 ▽香欒 ザボン | zamboa | zamboa | shaddock |
Here a ▽ marks uncommon words, readings and variations.
Words from modern Portuguese
| Japanese romaji | Japanese kana | Portuguese | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| shurasuko | シュラスコ | churrasco | Brazilian barbecue | From Daijirin. |
References
Acknowledgements
This list was derived from posts by Christian Wittern, Tomoko Yamamoto, and Bart Mathias, and checked and compiled with help from Paul Blay.
sci.lang.japan FAQ / 4. Words from other languages
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