From: hiraga@Csli.Stanford.EDU (Yuzuru Hiraga)
Subject: Re: English Words in Japanese [ENGLISH]
Organization: Stanford University CSLI
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1993 00:31:29 GMT

In article <3651@aegis.or.jp> barker@aegis.or.jp (Mike Barker) writes:
>OL, grutamein, castella, ningen dock - I've been told that each of these
>is English, and asked why I don't understand them.  And in time, with
>the use of dictionary and thought, I've managed to figure them out
>(except for ningen dock - I know what it is, but how it derives from
>English is still a puzzle to me).

Instead of trying to give other examples, I'll comment on those given.

>castella - a popular sponge cake.  word is portuguese, although many
>    people think it is English.

This is rather multi-national.
According to my Iwanami dictionary, the word is Portuguese, but the
cake itself was brought forth by Hollanders to Nagasaki.
And the name originates in Castile (Castilla~), former kingdom and
region name in Spain (centered in Madrid).

>e'tch - lustful.  seems to be a pronounciation of H.  Don't know how
>    this was derived (maybe WW2 slang?)

As already given, from "hentai".
This in turn, seems to be from "hentai-seiyoku(sha)"; where
"heitai" bears the meaning of "abnormal".

>grutamein - originally explained as "japanese spice".  actually,
>    monosodium glutamate.

From glutamic acid -- one of the amino acids (glutamine is a different,
though related compound).  It indeed is for monosodium glutamate
(gurutamin-san so^da or gurutamin-san (mono) natrium, to be precise).
The word "spice" is inappropriate, but there IS a Japanese connection --
as the substance was discovered by a Japanese, Kikuta Sanae (using Konbu,
I believe).  He later founded (or was involved in founding)
Ajinomoto (which is a de facto synonym for MSG).  The term "umami",
used to describe its flavor, is widely used as a technical term.
The term "kagaku-choumiryou" (chemical flavoring) was coined by NHK
in their cooking programs, as they were reluctant in using brand names
in their broadcast.

BTW: many of the element names used in Japan are German (or other non-
English) terms: eg. sodium -> Natrium, potassium -> Kalium, Uranium -> Uran
(now obsolete).

BTW2: the reluctance to use MSG in (American) restaurants stems from
the so-called "Chinese restaurant syndrome (not China syndrome)" in
the 60's, where overuse of MSG (supposedly in Chinese restaurants)
caused symptoms like headache and vomitting.

>ningen dock - one or two day physical checkup.  ningen is human, and
>    dock is usually identified as English.  may derive from slang? 
>    (going to the doc'?)  may also derive from drydock?

The latter is correct, though it need not be constrained to "dry"-docks.
From analogy with pulling in a ship in dock for examination and repair.

>OL - office lady.  young woman, usually assigned to a ka, who's duties
>    seem to include filing and bringing tea, mainly.  NOT a secretary.
>    (no easy match in American English)

The precursor for OL was BG (business girl).
This was for some reason abhorred (perhaps thought as offensive, being
related to prostitution) and was replaced by OL.
OL itself seems to be a vanishing term.

In <YUKI.93Jan11202714@aries.sofia.ksp.fujixerox.co.jp> Hideyuki Ozaki writs:
>mishin - a sawing machine.

Err... "sewing" machine :-)

>hotchkiss - a stapler.  I don't know where this one is came from, but
>	many people believe that this is an English word.

It was named after its inventor, though I'm not sure about the spelling.

>pan - bread.  this word is derived from portuguese, I believe.

Also "pain" in French.

-Yuzuru Hiraga