#wasei-eigo

[mlembug]

I'm doing translation check for the newest chapter of I Am Worried That My Childhood Friend Is Too Cute! and got reminded of a hilarious translation mistake I saw a few years ago.

While this mistake is incredibly vexing as this is something you can spot by reading the text and checking whether it makes sense, I don't want to make fun of the translators themselves, as a.) this translation was done several years ago and whoever did it likely got way better since, and b.) I have my own share of translation mistakes. The purpose of this is to instead to talk about the likely circumstances that led to it happening.

(full page with context)

The specific phrase used here is "コンシューマー版" which can be broken down into (what follows is the romaji-fied word and the dictionary definition)

コンシューマー ("konshuumaa") consumer

版 ("ban"): edition/version/printing/impression/implementation (of software)

which seems fairly reasonable, except for the fact that コンシューマー is coming from the phrase コンシューマーゲーム ("konshuumaa geemu"), which seems to have no dictionary definition in any of the dictionaries I have, but it has a wikipedia entry where clicking on English version directs to "console game".

So why is "consumer game" meaning "console game"? It's because you can go to a store and buy it (as in, as a consumer/customer), as opposed to arcade games where you essentially rent the arcade machine for a small time.

[glowgelido]

[kanjioftheday05]

Random Wasei-Eigo 2

Japanese has certain words that appear to be derived from English, but are not actually used in English. These are called wasei-eigo (和製英語), literally "made-in-Japan English"

Part 1 is at http://kanjioftheday05.tumblr.com/post/168382816635 Most definitions come from http://jisho.org

Japanese word: ハイタッチ Japanese pronunciation: hai tatchi What it sounds like in English: high touch Japanese meaning: high five

Japanese word: コンセント Japanese pronunciation: konsento What it sounds like in English: consent (from concentric plug) Japanese meaning: electrical outlet

Japanese word: ペアルック Japanese pronunciation: pea rukku What it sounds like in English: pair look Japanese meaning: matching outfits worn by couples

Japanese word: フリーサイズ Japanese pronunciation: furii saizu What it sounds like in English: free size Japanese meaning: one size fits all

Japanese word: フロントガラス Japanese pronunciation: furonto garasu What it sounds like in English: front glass Japanese meaning: windshield, windscreen

Japanese word: インキー Japanese pronunciation: in kii What it sounds like in English: in key Japanese meaning: shutting yourself out of your car with the key left inside​

Japanese word: オーダーメード Japanese pronunciation: oodaa meido What it sounds like in English: order made Japanese meaning: made-to-order, custom-made​

Japanese word: オールバック Japanese pronunciation: ooru bakku What it sounds like in English: all back Japanese meaning: swept back hair​

Japanese word: ポエマー Japanese pronunciation: poemaa What it sounds like in English: poemer Japanese meaning: poet

Japanese word: ゴールデンタイム Japanese pronunciation: gooruden taimu What it sounds like in English: golden time Japanese meaning: prime-time television

Japanese word: スパイクタイヤ Japanese pronunciation: supaiku taiya What it sounds like in English: spike tire Japanese meaning: studded snow tire

Japanese word: チャームポイント Japanese pronunciation: chaamu pointo What it sounds like in English: charm point Japanese meaning: most attractive feature of a person​

Japanese word: フードファイター Japanese pronunciation: fuudo faitaa What it sounds like in English: food fighter Japanese meaning: competitive eater

Japanese word: ヘルスメーター Japanese pronunciation: herusu meitaa What it sounds like in English: health meter Japanese meaning: bathroom scales

Japanese word: ベースアップ(ベア) Japanese pronunciation: beisu appu (be a) What it sounds like in English: base up Japanese meaning: salary increase​

Japanese word: ワンパターン Japanese pronunciation: wan pataan What it sounds like in English: one pattern Japanese meaning: predictable, repetitive

Japanese word: ロケーションハンティング(ロケハン) Japanese pronunciation: rokeishon hantingu (roke han) What it sounds like in English: location hunting Japanese meaning: location scouting

Japanese word: ランチョンマット Japanese pronunciation: ranchon matto What it sounds like in English: luncheon mat Japanese meaning: placemat

Japanese word: ペーパードライバー Japanese pronunciation: peipaa doraibaa What it sounds like in English: paper driver Japanese meaning: person who has a driving licence but little or no experience actually driving

Japanese word: ボディーチェック Japanese pronunciation: bodii chekku What it sounds like in English: body check Japanese meaning: strip-searching, security check​

Warning: studying too much wasei-eigo might cause one to mix up the meanings of some English words

[kanjioftheday05]

Random Wasei-Eigo 1

Japanese has certain words that appear to be derived from English, but are not actually used in English. These are called wasei-eigo (和製英語), literally "made-in-Japan English"

I decided to compile a random list of 20 interesting ones. Most definitions come from http://jisho.org

Japanese word: ドクターストップ Japanese pronunciation: dokutaa sutoppu What it sounds like in English: doctor stop Japanese meaning: doctor's orders (to stop something, such as habits)

Japanese word: アフターサービス Japanese pronunciation: afutaa saabisu What it sounds like in English: after service Japanese meaning: warranty service (customer service after a sale)

Japanese word: シルバーシート Japanese pronunciation: shirubaa shiito What it sounds like in English: silver seat Japanese meaning: seat for seniors and handicapped​

Japanese word: ガッツポーズ Japanese pronunciation: gattsu poozu What it sounds like in English: guts pose Japanese meaning: triumphant pose assumed by an athlete​; fist bump

Japanese word: ガードマン Japanese pronunciation: gaadoman What it sounds like in English: guardman Japanese meaning: security guard

Japanese word: カンニング Japanese pronunciation: kan'ningu What it sounds like in English: cunning Japanese meaning: cheating (e.g. on a test)

Japanese word: ジェットコースター Japanese pronunciation: jetto coosutaa What it sounds like in English: jet coaster Japanese meaning: roller coaster

Japanese word: シークレットシューズ Japanese pronunciation: shiikuretto shuuzu What it sounds like in English: secret shoes Japanese meaning: shoes with thick soles to make one look taller; elevator shoes​

Japanese word: デコレーションケーキ Japanese pronunciation: dekoreishon keiki What it sounds like in English: decoration cake Japanese meaning: decorated cake (sponge cake with cream, chocolate, fruit, etc.)

Japanese word: ネームバリュー Japanese pronunciation: neimu baryuu What it sounds like in English: name value Japanese meaning: established reputation (of a name brand)

Japanese word: ダンプカー Japanese pronunciation: danpu kaa What it sounds like in English: dump car Japanese meaning: dump truck

Japanese word: マナーモード Japanese pronunciation: manaa moudo What it sounds like in English: manner mode Japanese meaning: silent mode (on a cell phone)

Japanese word: マイブーム Japanese pronunciation: mai buumu What it sounds like in English: my boom Japanese meaning: current personal obsession​

Japanese word: ジェンダーフリー Japanese pronunciation: jendaa furii What it sounds like in English: gender free Japanese meaning: gender equality

Japanese word: マッチポンプ Japanese pronunciation: matchi ponpu What it sounds like in English: match pump Japanese meaning: stirring up trouble to get credit from the solution (lighting a match to put it out yourself with a water pump)

Japanese word: ポケットベル Japanese pronunciation: poketto beru What it sounds like in English: pocket bell Japanese meaning: pager or beeper

Japanese word: マイナスドライバー Japanese pronunciation: mainasu doraibaa What it sounds like in English: minus driver Japanese meaning: flathead screwdriver

Japanese word: プラスドライバー Japanese pronunciation: purasu doraibaa What it sounds like in English: plus driver Japanese meaning: Phillips head screwdriver​

Japanese word: ナイスミドル Japanese pronunciation: naisu midoru What it sounds like in English: nice middle Japanese meaning: attractive middle-aged man

Japanese word: ラストヘビー Japanese pronunciation: rasuto hebii What it sounds like in English: last heavy Japanese meaning: final effort before the end

Warning: studying too much wasei-eigo might cause one to mix up the meanings of some English words

[aismallard]

OK and NG

Actually here's an interesting bit of wasei-eigo: NG.

Kind of surprised this never took off in English actually, because it seems easy to pick up and understand. NG simply means "no good". Like you know, the meaning of "not okay".

And it has an emoji! There's 🆗 and 🆖, a pair of opposites. Same color, shape, number of letters, just a pleasant little pair of abbreviations. No harsh connotations like ❌ or other alternatives for "opposite of OK".

[interretialia]

Novae Locutiones Latinae / New Latin Phrases

Lingua Anglica Iaponice Facta, Linguae Anglicae Iaponice Factae, f. “Wasei-eigo,” “和製英語”

(Fons Imaginis.)

[l3reezer]

THE BEST OF JAPANESE ANIMATION’S WASEI-EIGO

The term wasei-eigo (和製英語) is used to refer to English words that have been coined into the Japanese language. Its literal translation is something along the lines of “Japanese-made English”. Wasei-eigo is often confused with Engrish, which is a slang term for the complete misuse of the English language by East Asian non-native speakers  (which itself can be quite the adorable spectacle to behold), and gairaigo (外来語), which refers to modern and more general-usage loan words from languages other than Chinese embedded into the Japanese language; but the distinction and rather trendy nuance of wasei-eigo is that it is the actual experimentation of these loan words that results in an entirely divergent meaning. Some introductory examples include アメリカンドッグ (American dog), which actually refers to a corn dog (you know, the edible kind?) and not any kind of domesticated animal; スナック (snack), which refers to a hostess bar where men can go to after work to have their alcoholic drinks poured for them by women and sing karaoke; and ハイテンション (high tension), which as opposed to meaning stressed out or anything to do with high-voltage, refers to someone who is brimming with energy. Through many perspectives wasei-eigo can be viewed as a negative influence on formal linguistics. For one, its very construction is one of the most undeniable examples of cultural appropriation (take something a foreign culture,  paying no mind to its original meaning, and alter it into something entirely of your own usage), but it also has a negative impact on the language exchange of English and Japanese, on both ends of the relationship. Any informed linguist will acknowledge the infallibility of language changing, developing, and evolving; but as wasei-eigo specifically exists concurrently with the already established forms of these various English loan words, Japanese speakers learning English may forthrightly mistake them for true English words and heedlessly use them with the wasei-eigo denotation and connotation in any given context. On the receiving end, when English speakers hear these terms, they will naturally presume them as English words that have been accepted into Japanese lexicon with no changes in form. It’s easy to imagine the confusion that may arise when these two instances of miscommunication converge (No, I would not like to eat an American dog!). Though that’s not to say that Western speakers may not come to prefer the wasei-eigo version of certain terms and adopt them as well. In the end, it may just all be a matter of preference. While at times much more informal than standard speech practice, wasei-eigo can have its merit as a poignant and fetching descriptor. Perhaps this explains why the main proponent to newly coined wasei-eigo terms is none other than the media. In order to create an  appeal in their advertising and products, the media often utilizes the convergence of English and Japanese to associate Western and Eastern culture and to portray a more modern and cosmopolitan image for the represented entity. However, what seems to be the next stage of adapted usage for wasei-eigo is that the process is no longer so much the media interacting with its audience, but the audience itself interacting with each other. Similar to the common usage of onomatopoeia in Japan (also usually lettered in katakana characters) to convey the feelings alongside a certain situation, English loan words are considered to be more casual, friendly and trendy among the youth. And if there is any medium that takes its audience to heart the most, then it may just be of the animanga industry, where content creators contribute to a mixed-media pool of mutually acclaimed themes, motifs, archetypes, tropes, and more. So, with that being said and without further ado, here are the best of Japanese animation’s wasei-eigo:

好き好きオーラ - Suki Suki Aura (Isshuukan Friends)

Contextual Definition:

A lovely aura that is tender and heart-warming.

Context:

The re-appearance and school-transfer-in of one of Kaori’s male childhood friends intervenes with her developing relationship with Yuuki. As her weekly memory loss seems to make a unwarranted come-back as well, she is unable to remember Yuuki as a friend as strongly as before, yet more easily recognizes the aforementioned Kujoo Hajime. Yamagishi notices the change in Kaori and Yuuki’s familiarity throughout the school-day and mentions so to Shougo, stating that Kaori has lost the gentle and endearing aura that she had always been emitting before (だって、長谷くんに対する態度が今まで明らかに違うの。あんなに好き好きオーラ出したなのに。。。). Much more unconcerned, Shougo’s immediate reaction to this is simply being surprised that even someone as air-headed as Yamagishi could perceive this crack in their relationship, even if Yamagishi does make sense of  it in a particularly dreamy and abstruse manner.