Where does “Japan” come from?
Japan (Icelandic) comes from Danish Japan, 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
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Danish | Japan | — |
| 2 | Dutch | Japan | — |
| 3 | Malay | Jepang | Japanese |
| 4 | Hokkien | 日本 | Japan; Japanese; Japan |
| 5 | Middle Chinese | 日本 | Land of the Rising Sun |
Words derived from “Japan”