This glossary 1 is compiled in four groups. The criteria for establishing this division is briefly explained at the beginning of each of them. It must be understood, however, that the separation is only referential. In everyday life, many words from one group can be heard in another. 2
FIRST GROUP
These words of Japanese origin are widely used in the country. They can be found in newspapers and magazines, as well as in literature. To those that retain their original meaning, a new and particular meaning has been added, which suggests that they are on their way to becoming possible Peruvianisms.
Futon: Padded cover for the bed.
Peru. Duvet // thin mattress for sofa seats.
Geisha: Japanese dancer and singer.
Peru. Person submissive to power: that person is a geisha of the president.
Harakiri: Way of committing suicide, typical of the Japanese, and which consists of cutting open the belly. Admitted by the RAE with Harakiri writing.
Peru. Figurative suicide: he committed political harakiri.
Kamikaze: Influence, divine power; wind raised by the divinities.
Peru. Bold to the point of risking real or figurative death: That motorcyclist is a kamikaze // The senator launched into an argument like a kamikaze. These meanings originate in the naturalistic translation of the metaphor "wind raised by the divinities" by which the Japanese suicide pilots of the Second World War were known.
Katanear: The noun katana means saber or sword.
In the Little Larousse dictionary it appears as Chileanism and Argentinism, and the Catana writing, which means old saber.
Peru. The verb katanear has been derived (although the writing catanear is preferred) with its meaning of punishing or beating: I'm going to kataneate you if you continue behaving badly. Apparently, the verb came into use a few decades ago following a duel in which the winning contestant replaced a sword with a katana.
Nikkei: Short for nikkeijin, which means Japanese overseas or outside the territory of Japan. The term includes immigrants and their descendants.
Peru. Peruvian of Japanese origin, of any generation: the Nikkei have a reputation for being industrious.
Nisei: Second generation, son of Japanese immigrants.
Peru. Until about fifteen years ago it was a generic for the descendants of Japanese immigrants. With the introduction and use of the term Nikkei, its use has been restricted to those who truly belong to the second generation. It is important to note that the Nisei were the first to assume their cultural mix: my Nisei friend had a store on the corner.
Ponja: Because it is a slang word, it is not found in any standard Spanish dictionary.
Peru. Gentilicio that denotes origin from Japan. It refers to all Japanese descendants. The word has undergone a syllabic inversion, which is a frequent slang device. However, its use is not in closed areas, but rather in open and daily use: I have several Ponja friends. It has no derogatory content.
Samurai: Individual belonging to the warrior class in the Japanese feudal organization before 1868.
Peru. Generic of Japanese descendant: the samurai of the Andean song // brave; wild.
Sayonara: Goodbye, see you later, goodbye.
Peru. Rubber sandal that is attached to the foot with the same system as the Japanese straw sandal called zori. It is very popular, especially in summer as part of beach clothing, for both women and men. The reason why it was called sayonara is unknown for now, a name that has no relation to the original meaning of this word. Perhaps the manufacturers, who knew that they were imitating a Japanese sandal in rubber, considered that this name quickly evoked that country.
Tofu: Food made with bean flour in the form of cottage cheese.
Peru. Soy cheese or Japanese cheese. It is commonly sold in markets and supermarkets, and is highly consumed in the vegetarian diet.
Tsunami: Aguaje, large wave that floods the coast.
Peru. In addition to its original meaning, it has the figurative meaning of an avalanche: no one expected a tsunami of votes for that candidate.
Yankenpó: This word has Chinese origin, but is assumed to be Japanese. Its Japanese equivalent is aiko-deshó, which means, isn't it true that it is a tie? It is a children's charade where three elements are represented with the hand: paper, scissors and stone. It is used to settle a turn in any type of game.
SECOND GROUP
This group of Japanese words is known by sectors of the Peruvian population that have maintained work contact with immigrants and their descendants, especially those of the second generation. In the development of the businesses of the Japanese and their first descendants, employees were not considered simple servants but members of the family. This situation often led them to share food and lodging in their employers' homes.
This group of words is also the domain of those individuals who have maintained close friendship or kinship relationships with families of Japanese origin.
Abunai: Dangerous.
Peru. It is used in certain situations as a code word to warn of the presence of a suspicious person: “abunai, dorobó” (be careful, thief)
Arigato: Very grateful.
Butsudan: Buddhist domestic altar.
Peru. Religious syncretism, especially practiced by the children of immigrants, includes images and statuettes of the Catholic religion on the altar, and even traditional Peruvian beliefs.
Dekasegi: Action of looking for work or working abroad, in another country or abroad.
Peru. As a result of the employment crisis around 1990, the dekasegi phenomenon became massive among the descendants of Japanese who began to emigrate to the country of their ancestors.
Gohan: Cooked rice, food.
Peru. Generic food.
Kaki: Tree of Japan; its fruit.
Peru. It has been castilianized with the khaki script.
Kamaboko: Pounded fish, seasoned with salt and sake, and steamed, sometimes wrapped in a stick or straw.
Peru. It is consumed as a fish cake, cut into pieces alone or as an ingredient in stir-fried foods.
Kichigai: Madness, insanity, insanity, insanity; crazy, insane, foolish, lunatic
Konnichiwa: Good afternoon.
Kombanwa: Good evening.
Matchi: Match, match.
Miso: Paste obtained from the fermentation of soybeans. Misoshiru: miso broth or soup.
Ocha: Tea
Peru. Any hot infusion: Ochá of anise
Ohaci, hashi: Chopsticks for eating.
Ohayo: Good morning.
O'kane: Currency, money.
Osenko, senko: Incense stick. It is lit in the butsudan or in any religious ritual.
Shoyu: Sauce made from a fermented mixture of barley or roasted soybeans.
Sukiyaki: Sautéed thinly sliced meat and vegetables, cooked with shoyu, liquor and sugar.
Tomodachi: Friend, partner, comrade.
THIRD GROUP
Among families of Japanese origin, obviously, a large number of words remain for exclusive use within the community. The persistence of its use possibly originated in a phonetic difficulty. The immigrants could not pronounce certain syllables of the new language. They chose, then, to keep the Japanese name within the Spanish system. This trend basically occurred with nouns.
It should be noted that many of these words have fallen into disuse in Japan. This is a very common phenomenon in all ancient immigration. The language is more dynamic in the homeland, while immigrants tend to keep it as they learned it. Their distance does not allow them to confront the subsequent changes. On the other hand, some Spanish suffixes were applied to Japanese words, thus giving strange but very communicative hybrids. However, the use of Japanese words loses validity as generations move further away from the immigrants.
Ainoko: Mestizo, mulatto, zambo.
In Peru, son of a Japanese person with a native person. It has a strong derogatory meaning. Disused in Japan, where haffu or konketsu is rather used
Bakatare: Fool, fool, idiot, imbecile, stupid, dullard, brute, beast. Disused in Japan. Today baka is used.
Benjó: Toilet, toilet, drain, latrine. Disused in Japan. It has been replaced by toiretto, otearai or restorúm.
Chawán: Cup of tea.
Peru. Any small container with or without handles that is used for eating or drinking.
Chomen: Account book, register, notebook. Disused in Japan. It has been replaced by no-to
Chosen: Korea. Cho-senjin , Korean. This word has fallen into disuse, the use of kankokujin (cold country) is more common.
Chokin: Savings, economy.
Peru. Its greatest use is as a piggy bank.
Chotto: A little, a moment, an instant.
Peru. A Castilian diminutive suffix is usually added to accentuate its shortness, Chottomatito, which replaces ratito: wait for me un chottomatito.
Denki: Electricity
Peru. Electric light.
Dojin: Indigenous, aboriginal, native.
Peru. It is used as a code to refer to non-Japanese residents. It had a strong derogatory charge.
Enryo: Reserve, care, discretion, prudence, compliance.
Peru. Aristocratic discretion, high spirit.
Furó: Bathroom, tub; place and bath house.
Peru. Brass tub for bathing, whose water is heated with coal. Used only until the second generation.
Gakkó: School, college
Gambatte: Try hard!
Hirune: Nap.
Peru. Many times a diminutive or augmentative Castilian suffix is added: un hirunesito after lunch // took a hirunesón.
Hasami: Scissors, shears.
Imbai: Secret prostitution; prostitute.
Inaka: Countryside, place removed from the city.
Peru. Designates the mountain or chola population. He has a derogatory accent.
Jochú: Maid, servant, domestic. Disused in Japan. It has been replaced by otetsu dainin.
Junsá: Police, public order guard.
Kamisama: Deity
Peru. Deity or saint of any religion, obviously including the Catholic one, which was accepted, within a religious syncretism, by immigrants.
Kampai: Toast, cheers!
Koseki: Family registry.
Peru. This document became very popular in the country, given that to travel as a dekasegi it was necessary to arrange its shipment from Japan in Peru. Because of this requirement, many descendants only recently learned of their immigrant ancestor's birthplace.
Kurombo: Black man
Peru. Black inhabitant. Very derogatory reference, almost an insult.
Kusai: Stinking, fetid, infectious, pestilent
Peru. It is used as a code word to indicate the presence of someone who is dirty, physically or morally.
Kusuri: Medicine, medication, remedy.
Peru. Remedy, used for phonetic difficulty.
Makura: Pillow
Peru. Used for phonetic complexity.
Mofu: Woolen cloth; blanket, coverlet, blanket.
Peru. Blanket. Used due to phonetic difficulty.
Naichijin: From the interior of a country.
Peru. Its use indicates the inhabitants of the four major islands of Japan, thus excluding those of the Okinawa prefecture. It is equivalent to yamatojin, which refers to belonging to the base culture of Japan.
Naichá: Word from the Okinawan language (uchinaguchi) that designates the naichijin.
Nemaki: Sleeping dress, sleeping robe.
Peru. Pijama; Generic of any sleep dress.
Nesan: Big sister.
Peru. The population of Okinawan origin uses it as a synonym for lady or miss. They also use it with the apocope nee.
Nihonjin: Japanese; japanese person
In Peru, it was used to name every member of the Nikkei community before the appearance of the latter and to differentiate them from the Perujin. However, in a context where there are Japanese citizens, the term comes to designate only them.
Nisan: Older brother.
Peru. The population of Okinawan origin uses it as a synonym for lord and also uses the apocope nii.
Obachan: Grandma
Peru. Grandmother or any elderly person.
Obasán: Old woman, aunt, lady.
Obento: Snack.
Peru. Lunch box, snack, cold cuts.
Ojichan: Grandpa.
Ojísan: Uncle, sir, old man.
Okasan: Mother.
Omiyage: Gift, gift, gift, present.
Peru. Souvenir or visiting gift.
Oshikko: Urine.
Oshiri: ass, butt, back
Otera: Great Buddhist temple
Peru. Temple or church of any religion.
Otosan: Dad, father
Pachinko: A type of board game. By extension it now applies to all games of chance.
Perujin: Peruvian
Reizoko: Fridge, cooler, refrigerator.
Peru. Refrigerator. Used for phonetic difficulty.
Sake: Rice wine; fermented rice liquor, all fermented liquor.
Peru. Any liquor, whether distilled or fermented.
Shimbun: Newspaper, gazette, press; new news.
Shinajin: Chinese individual. Disused in Japan. Today chugokujin is used.
Shinaryori: Chinese food. Disused in Japan. It has been replaced by chukkaryori. (Tasting Chinese food is a deep-rooted custom in Peru)
Soba: Flour noodle from the sobá cereal.
Peru. Generic thick noodle, usually made from wheat flour. It also designates a soup of Okinawan origin.
Tamago: Egg.
Peru. Among Nikkei young people, the Spanish augmentative suffix is often added to convert it into “tamagón”, which indicates large testicles, a figure used to designate a stupid person. With the Japanese diminutive suffix it becomes tamagochi, which affectionately points to a silly person. The word tamagochi also names small egg-shaped electronic pets.
Tegami: Letter, missive.
Tokei: Clock, stopwatch.
Uchinanchu: Word from the Okinawan language that designates those born or descended from Okiwawans.
Peru. A sector of the population of Okinawan origin uses it to call itself.
Unko: Excrement, deposition
Yakisoba: Stir-fried noodles prepared with vegetables and meat.
Peru. Thick sautéed noodles.
Yasui: Cheap.
Peru. It is frequently used as a code word to indicate that a product is cheap and worth buying.
Yonsei: Fourth generation. Great-grandson of immigrants.
Yukata: Light summer outfit.
FOURTH GROUP
In the following vocabulary we have considered the Japanese words that, officially, or consecrated by use, are in almost all the languages of the world. They are explained by the admiration for traditional Japanese culture and by current technological and media development.
Anime: Japanese-style cartoon, with great rhythm and almost expressionist spirit.
Banzai: Life and eternal glory; viva, bravo.
Bonsai: Dwarf plants grown in pots or pots
Bonzo: Buddhist priest
Bunraku: Traditional puppet theater, manipulated by people standing next to them, but dressed entirely in black.
Dojo: Fencing room. By extension, a place for martial arts practices.
Haiku: Traditional Japanese poem. It consists of seventeen syllables distributed in three verses.
Ikebana: Flowers placed in pots and pots; art of putting them.
Judo: Japanese fighting exercises.
Judoka: Judo practitioner
Kabuki: Dramatic presentation of Japan. In its beginnings it was the theater of the popular sectors.
Kakemono: Elongated painting that hangs in rooms.
Kanji: Chinese character or letter
Karaoke: Place where spontaneous and non-professional singers sing accompanied by previously recorded music and following the verses that appear on a television screen.
Karate: Martial art that is practiced with empty hands.
Kimono: Dress, suit, habit. It is Spanishized as kimono: long, wide tunic similar to a robe. The Royal Academy of the Spanish Language admits this noun as kimono.
Koto: Type of Japanese harp.
Manga: Japanese style comic. Printed equivalent of manga.
Nihongo: Japanese; japanese language
Ninja: Spy trained physically and militarily since childhood.
Nintendo: Interactive electronic game. Use a television screen.
Noh: Classical theater. The actors wear masks and their movements are ritualistic.
Nori: Seaweed
Omochi, mochi: Sweet glutinous rice paste.
Origami : Art of folding paper.
Osushi , sushi: Rice cooked and seasoned with vinegar, fish and legumes. It is presented rolled up.
Peru. Non-Japanese descendants used to humorously call it "gutta-percha rice," when it is wrapped in sheets of seaweed (makizushi).
Sakura: Cherry tree
Samisen, shamisen: Kind of banjo. It only has three strings.
Sashimi: Raw fish cut into small slices that is eaten by spreading shoyu or soy sauce.
Sensei: Teacher, professor, instructor.
Shintoism: National religion of Japan, which honors ancestors and the forces of nature. (The goddess Amaterasu, personification of the sun, dominates the Shinto pantheon)
Siatsu, shiatsu: Digitopuncture
Sumo: Japanese ritual wrestling.
Taiko: Drum, drum
Tatami: Mat of Japanese houses. Pressed mat mat for practicing martial arts.
Tempura: Frying with flour; all breaded food
Tsukemono: Anything edible preserved in salt or vinegar, especially vegetables.
Udon: Thick noodles.
Ukiyo-E: Genre of painting that describes worldly manners and customs.
Undokai: Meeting for exercises, recreation and walks.
Wasabi: Horseradish.
Yakitori : Grilled chicken or chicken meat, roasted poultry.
Yakkyu: Baseball
Zen: Buddhist meditation and contemplation.
Grades
1. Editor's note: This work – unpublished until now – was carried out by the poet José Watanabe in October 1999, as part of a broader project about the community of Japanese origin in Peru, led by a team of investigation. (A. Morimoto)
2. Author's note: The writing in Romaji (Latin spellings) has been taken from the Japanese-Spanish dictionary of the Franciscan father Juan Calvo; editorial Sanseido, Tokyo, 1937. The definitions have also been taken from this book, as well as from the Little Larousse Illustrated dictionary, (Buenos Aires, 1964) widely used at educated levels since it includes words that the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language still doesn't accept. The Spanish-Japanese dictionary of Fathers Luis Martínez Dueñas and Manuel Kato Yda has also been consulted; authors' edition, Lima 1980.
***This article is published under the San Marcos Foundation Agreement for the Development of Science and Culture of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos - Japanese American National Museum, Discover Nikkei Project, 2009-2010.
© 2010 José Watanabe