Where does “Japan” come from?
Japan (German) comes from Dutch Japan, from Malay Jepang, from Hokkien 日本, from Middle Chinese 日本 — Land of the Rising Sun.
Ancestry of “Japan”, step by step
Japan traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch Japan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | Japan | — |
| 2 | Malay | Jepang | Japanese |
| 3 | Hokkien | 日本 | Japan; Japanese; Japan |
| 4 | Middle Chinese | 日本 | Land of the Rising Sun |
via Portuguese Japão
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portuguese | Japão | Japanese |