Japan
pronunciation
How to pronounce Japan in British English:
UK [dʒə'pæn]
How to pronounce Japan in American English:
US [dʒə'pæn]
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- Noun:
- lacquerware decorated and varnished in the Japanese manner with a glossy durable black lacquer
- lacquer with a durable glossy black finish, originally from the orient
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- Verb:
- coat with a lacquer, as done in Japan
Word Origin
- japan
- japan: [17] The hard laquer varnish called japan received its name, of course, because it came from Japan. But where did the name Japan come from? For the Japanese call their country Nippon. The answer is Chinese, where jih pun means literally ‘sunrise’ (jih is ‘sun’, and the equivalent term in Japanese is ni, so Japanese Nippon too is the ‘land of the rising sun’). The Chinese word came into English via Malay Japang. Another English derivative is the name of the shrub japonica [19], which originated in Japan.
- Japan
- 1570s, via Portuguese Japao, Dutch Japan, acquired in Malacca from Malay Japang, from Chinese jih pun "sunrise" (equivalent of Japanese Nippon), from jih "sun" + pun "origin." Earliest form in Europe was Marco Polo's Chipangu. Cultural contact led to japaning "coat with lacquer or varnish" (1680s), japonaiserie (1896, from French), etc.
Example
- 1. India and japan are strengthening economic and security ties .
- 2. Japan seemed to take fright .
- 3. As are tensions between china and japan .
- 4. China and japan countries are intricately linked .
- 5. Hostility toward japan runs high in china .