Japanese words of Dutch origin started to develop when the Dutch East India Company initiated trading in Japan from the factory of Hirado in 1609. In 1640, the Dutch were transferred to Dejima, and from then on until 1854 remained the only Westerners allowed access to Japan, during Japan's sakoku seclusion period.

Numerous exchanges occurred, leading to a branch of Western learning in Japan known as , or "Dutch learning", where the in comes from , the Japanese word for Holland; is of Sino-Japanese origin and means "learning". In the process, a number of terms were adopted from Dutch into the Japanese language. At one point, some 3,000 words are thought to have been used, especially in the areas of technical and scientific vocabulary. About 160 such words of Dutch origin remain in use today in standard Japanese.

Japanese transliteration (rōmaji) Japanese term (kanji or kana) original Dutch term English translation of DutchMeaning of Japanese term DetailsarukariSanseido dual dictionaryアルカリalkali alkali From Arabic, through Dutch.arukōruアルコールalcoholalcohol alcohol (chemistry), alcoholic drinkFrom Arabic, through Dutch.asubesutoアスベストasbest asbestosasbestosFrom Greek, through Dutch.bīru"Dutch-Japanese Relations ," Netherlands Consulate General at Osaka-Kobeビール, 麦酒bierbeer beer bisukettoビスケットbeschuit biscuitbiscuitReinforcement of Portuguese .bōruボールboorbore drill, bore After 1720.burikiブリキbliktin (can)tinplatechifusuチフスtyfus typhustyphusFrom Greek, through Dutch.chinkiチンキtinctuur tincturetinctureShortened from .doitsuドイツDuits GermanGermanydokkuドックdokdockdry dockAlso a contraction of .dontakuドンタクzondag SundaySundayAlso occasionally found as . Appears from the early Meiji period, after 1868. () usage reduced to specific terms e.g. Hakata Dontaku.doronkenドロンケンdronkendrunkdrunkobsoleteekisuエキスextractextract extract Shortened from .erekishiteitoエレキシテイトelektriciteitelectricity electricity Obsolete, replaced by .erekiteruエレキテルcorruption of elektriciteitelectricityelekiterA type of electrostatic generator used for electric experiments in the 18th century.ēteruLanguage contact in Japan: a socio-linguistic history by Leo Loveday, p.54-55エーテルetherether ether, aetherFrom Greek, through Dutch. "Ethernet" is pronounced from English.garasuガラス, 硝子glasglass (of a window)glass (the material)gasuガス, 瓦斯gas gasgasgiyamanギヤマンdiamantdiamond diamond, glass (the material)Obsolete. From Greek, through Dutch.gomuゴムgom, gumrubber rubber gorofukurenゴロフクレン, 呉絽服連grofgreingrosgraingrosgrainObsoletehamuハムhamham ham handon半ドン, ハンドンdag Sundayhalf-day; holidayCompound of Japanese (half) and (< ). This word is no longer commonly used in Japanese.hatoronハトロン, パトロンpatrooncartridge (firearms)cartridge case (firearms)Obsolete. Only remain in .henrūdaヘンルーダwijnruitcommon ruecommon ruehettoヘットvetfatbeef tallowCognate with English fat.hisuteriiヒステリーhysteriehysteriahysteriahokkuホックhoekhookhookCognate with English hook.infuruenzaインフルエンザinfluenzainfluenza influenzaAfter 1720. More likely borrowed from English. The term originated in Italian, and became common worldwide in the 18th century via English.inkiインキinkt inkinkkamitsureカミツレkamillecamomilecamomileFrom Greek, through Dutch and Chinese. The medial -tsu appears due to the Japanese reading of the Chinese spelling . After 1720; first imported in 1818, and first attested in 1822.kanteraカンテラkandelaarcandlestickkerosene lampkapitanカピタン, 甲比丹kapiteincaptain(obsolete: captain), chief of Dutch East India Company's post in JapanMore likely derived from Portuguese capitão.karanカランkraantap (UK) / faucet (Am.)tap (UK) / faucet (Am.)Cognate with English crane, from the resemblance of the bird's neck to a faucet pipe.kariカリ, カリウムkali, kaliumpotassiumpotassiumkarukiカルキkalklime (the chemical), chlorinated limelime (the chemical), chlorinated limeCognate with English chalk.katēteruカテーテルkathetercathetercatheterFrom Greek, through Dutch.kechinケチンkettingchain chain After 1720. Now obsolete (replaced by ).keido1988, (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, entry available online here珪土keiaardesilica silica Calque. The initial element kei is a phonetic borrowing from the kei in the Dutch term , and the do in the Japanese (土, "earth, soil") is a translation of the aarde ("earth, soil") of the Dutch term. First appears in 1877. Now obsolete, replaced by from English silica.kiruku / korukuキルク / コルクkurk corkcorkkōhīコーヒー, 珈琲koffiecoffeecoffeeFrom Arabic, through Dutch.kokkuコックkok cookchefkoppuコップkopcup cup Reinforcement of Portuguese .konpasuコンパスkompascompasscompasskoreraコレラcholeracholeracholeraFrom Greek, through Dutch.kureosōtoクレオソートcreosootcreosotecreosotemadorosuマドロスmatroossailor sailor masutoマストmastmast mast mesuメスmesknifescalpel After 1720.moruhineモルヒネmorfinemorphine morphine After 1720.morumottoモルモットmarmotmarmotGuinea pignisu1998, (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, ニスvernisvarnishvarnishoburātoオブラートoblaatwaferoblaatAlso listed in some Japanese sources as deriving from the cognate German term Oblate.orugōruオルゴール(orgel) muziekdoos(organ) music box(organ) music box penkiペンキpek, pikhouse painthouse paintpesutoペストpestblack death black death After 1720.pintoピントpuntfocusfocusShortened from the longer term brandpunt.pisutoruピストルpistoolpistolpistolponpuポンプpomppump pump After 1720.ponzuポン酢ponsponzuThe Dutch term for the beverage was already obsolescent by 1864, and was eventually superseded by the term punsch or punch.randoseruランドセルranselbackpackrandoseruFrom German or Low German , through Dutch.ranpuランプ, 洋灯lamp lamplampFrom Greek, through Dutch.retorutoレトルトretortretortretort, retort pouchrenzuレンズlenslenslenssafuranサフランsaffraansaffronsaffronsatenサテンsatijnsatinsatinseimiセイミ, 舎密chemiechemistrychemistryNow obsolete, replaced by .shianシアンcyaancyancyanshiroppuシロップsiroopsyrupsyrupsukoppuGleeson Introduction to written Japanese, katakana p.36スコップschoptroweltrowelCognate with English scoop.supoitoスポイトspuitsyringesyringeCognate with English spout.tarumomētoruタルモメートルthermometerthermometer thermometer From French, through Dutch. After 1720. Now obsolete; replaced by .teresukoppuテレスコップ telescooptelescopetelescopeFrom Italian and Modern Latin, through Dutch. After 1720. Replaced by .yojiumuヨジウムjodiumiodineiodineNow transformed into .zukkuズックdoekcanvascanvas, canvas shoesBoth Japanese and English duck ("piece of cloth") are borrowings from Dutch doek.

See also Gairaigo List of gairaigo and wasei-eigo terms Japanese words of Portuguese origin

References

Further reading (PDF) - Originally in Lingua 12 (1963): pp. 341–88.

External links Which Japanese words originate from Dutch?