Japanese words borrowed into English English is a mongrel language!
By Stefan Chiarantano English has evolved by incorporating words from other languages. Here's a list of Japanese words borrowed in
English. Many of these words have no equivalent in English: | aikido | a type of Japanese martial arts | | anime | animated comics | | bonsai | dwarfed trees, a tree trimmed to grow in a
clay pot | | geisha | a professional entertainer/artist | | haiku | a type of Japanese poetry | | hara-kiri | a form of ritual suicide, belly cutting, also
known as seppuku | | ikebana | Japanese flower arranging | | judo | a type of Japanese martial arts | | ju-jitsu | a type of Japanese martial arts | | kamikaze | 1) divine wind; 2) Japanese WW II pilots who
crashed their planes loaded with explosives onto Allied ships | | karaoke | singing pop songs to a recorded musical
backing | | karate | a type of Japanese martial arts | | kendo | a type of Japanese martial arts | | kimono | an outer garment usually made of silk | | manga | Japanese comics | | matcha | powdered green tea | | mizo | fermeted soybean paste made from soybeans, sea
salt and koji | | ninja | Japanese warrior | | obi | a sash wrapped around a kimono | | origami | a Japanese art of folding origami paper into
intricate shapes and designs | | sake | alcohol made from fermented rice | | samurai | a Japanese warrior | | sayonara | good-bye | | sumo | Japanese wrestling | | sushi | small balls of vinegared rice garnished with
slice of raw fish or stuffed with food and wrapped in paper thin seaweed
(nori) | | sukiyaki | a Japanese dish of meat, vegetables, and
mushrooms cooked in a broth | | tatami | a straw mat | | tycoon | business leader | | tsunami | a giant tidal wave generated by an undersea
earthquake that can reach land and cause extensive damage | | ukiyo-e | wood block prints (Hokusai's "The Wave") | | wasabi | a type of horseradish eaten with sushi and
sushimi | | zen | one sect of Japanese Buddhist tradition |
The above is not an exhaustive list but demonstrates how English
absorbs new words as well as highlighting its dynamic quality. Now, can you
think of any foreign words borrowed into English?  © Stefan Chiarantano
2006
Stefan has been teaching English as a foreign language in Asia for the
past several years. He presently teaches English in Japan. He's a Canadian with
an interest in filmmaking and photography.
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