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From: deb5@midway.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: Gaijin as a derogatory term
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References: <4e6via$k1t@reader2.ix.netcom.com> <4g9u4k$l5q@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> <DnAMHq.oLu@byron.net4.io.org> <4qim2c$opc@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>
Date: Sun, 23 Jun 1996 17:39:46 GMT
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Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu sci.lang.japan:35601 sci.lang:56197

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In article <4qim2c$opc@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>,
chlmarti <chlmarti@ucs.indiana.edu> wrote:
>To reiterate my point, "gaikokujin" and "gaijin" both mean barbarian
>in the Japanese language.  Originally, this term was applied to Chinese
>and Korean immigrants entering Japan.  Only later did it evolve to the
>labeling of Americans and other westerners as barbarians.

	First of all, this argument has already been hashed out about
a hundred times in sci.lang.japan.  Those who equate 'gaijin' with 
"barbarian" tend to be non-speakers of Japanese or learners; native 
speakers and advanced learners generally agree that this is a poor 
translation.

	Second of all, you're confusing denotation and connotation.
'gaijin' denotes "foreigner".  In modern usage, it usually has the
connotation "Westerner", but this is not basic to the term.  Like 
almost every other noun denoting national or ethnic origin in almost 
every language in the world, it can be pejorative in some contexts 
and neutral or even meliorative in others.  

	Take the term "Yankee", which has been borrowed into a multi-
tude of the world's languages.  Its connotations vary from "ingenious" 
to "inhumane" depending on the background of the speaker, the back-
ground the hearer, the formality of the exchange, and dozens if not 
hundreds of other variables.  Declaring it synonymous with any one 
other term (like "American", "carpetbagger", "GI"--or "barbarian") 
would be as misleading as equating 'gaijin' with "barbarian."

	The standard translation of "barbarian" in Japanese is
'yabanjin'.  The fact that many Japanese consider all 'gaijin' to be 
'yabanjin' doesn't make them equalivalent any more than the fact that 
many Americans consider all 'foreigners' to be 'barbarians' makes
these two words synonymns.

-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
