Paper short abstract:

In this presentation we will discuss the particularities of the transliteration of foreign geographical names in Japan. We will pay special attention to the mechanisms of, and motivations for, the choice of written form and how much the meaning of kanji influences this choice.

Paper long abstract:

In modern Japanese language, foreign proper names such as geographical names are usually written in katakana (e.g. ヨーロッパ、アメリカ、ロシア). However, this is a relatively recent practice and until the middle of the 20th century most proper names were written using kanji (欧羅巴、亜米利加、露西亜 etc.). Some of these transliterations are still in use today in their simplified forms in such compound words as 欧州 (Europe), 米大統領 (President of the US), 日露 (Russo-Japanese), etc. Most of these examples, excluding semantic loans (地中海 "Mediterranean Sea", 氷州/島 "Iceland" etc.), are traditionally considered to be phonetic loans transliterated in China and later transmitted to Japan. Consequently, the particularities of the transliteration of specific proper names in Japan, as well as the semantic aspects of the choice of written form are usually withdrawn from consideration.

Contrary to this tradition, in this presentation we will demonstrate the existence of phonetic loans, such as "Russia", "America", "Vladivostok", "Karafuto" and more, in which the meaning of the character(s) played a great, and in some cases even crucial role in the choice and/or perception of the written form. Using data from a wide range of primary sources such as geographical documents, newspapers, and diplomatic documents from the Bakumatsu to Taisho periods, we are going to look at examples of foreign geographical names in Japan and explore the following particular questions:

- What were the mechanisms of, and motivations for, the choice of written form and how much did the meaning of kanji influence this choice;

- What are the particularities of transliteration of geographical names in Japanese, and how was kunyomi involved in the process.