Japanese words of Portuguese origin

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Many Japanese words of Portuguese origin entered the Japanese language when Portuguese Jesuit priests introduced Christian ideas, Western science and technology, among other things to the Japanese during the Muromachi period (15-16th century).

Since Japanese has many loanwords from Portuguese, it is often discussed whether the Japanese word arigatō derives from the Portuguese obrigado. The Japanese phrase arigatō is a shortened form of arigatō gozaimasu, meaning "Thank you". This is a form of an adjective, arigatai, for which written records exist dating back to the Man'yōshū, well before Japanese contact with Portugal. The full derivation is arigatō < arigataku < arigatashi < ari + katashi.

Many of the words which entered Japanese from Portuguese and Dutch are written in kanji or hiragana rather than katakana, which is the more common way to write loanwords in Japanese. Some of the kanji versions of the words are ateji, characters added to the words by the Japanese, based on either the pronunciation or the meaning of the word.

Here is a list of some of them which have survived until the present day.

Japanese rōmaji	Japanese	Pre-modern Portuguese	Modern Portuguese	English	Notes
arukōru	アルコール	alcool	álcool	alcohol
bateren	伴天連・破天連	padre	padre, pai	priest, father
bīdama	ビー玉	vi(dro) (Portuguese, glass) + 玉 (Japanese dama, ball)	berlindes	marbles
biidoro	ビードロ	vidro	vidro	glass
birōdo	ビロード or 天鵞絨	veludo	veludo	velvet
bouro/bouru	ボーロ・ボール	bolo	bolo/bola	ball
botan	ボタン・釦・鈕	botão	botão	button
buranko	ブランコ	balanço	balanço	swing (seat)
charumera/charumeru	チャルメラ・哨吶	charamela		shawm
chokki	チョッキ	jaque	jaqueta, colete	waistcoat (UK); vest (U.S.)
furasuko	フラスコ	frasco	frasco	flask
iesu	イエス	Jesu	Jesus		Also means yes (from English)
igirisu	イギリス・英吉利	inglez	inglês	English (adj); Englishman	Igirisu now generally means 'the United Kingdom'.
iruman	イルマン・入満・伊留満・由婁漫	irmão	irmão	brother	Term used in early Japanese Christianity; missionary next in line to become a priest
jouro	じょうろ・如雨露	jarro	jarro	watering can	Possibly from Portuguese (kojien dictionary)
juban/jiban	じゅばん・襦袢	jibão	roupa interior	underwear	The French form led to zubon (trousers).
kanakin/kanekin	金巾 or ▽かなきん or ▽かねきん	canequim	Not used in present-day Portuguese.	unbleached muslin/calico
kantera/kandeya	カンテラ・カンデヤ	candeia, candela	candeia	torch
kapitan	甲比丹・甲必丹	capitão	capitão	captain
kappa	合羽	capa	capa (de chuva)	raincoat, coat
karuta	かるた・歌留多・加留多・骨牌	cartas (de jogar)	cartas (de jogar)	playing cards
kasutera, kasuteera, kasuteira	カステラ	castella	castela	Kind of sponge cake
kirishitan	キリシタン・切支丹・吉利支丹 (Also written in the more negative forms 鬼理死丹 and 切死丹 after Christianity was banned by the Tokugawa Shogunate	christão	cristão	Christian
kirisuto	キリスト or 基督	Christo	Cristo	Christ
kompeitō	金米糖・金平糖・金餅糖	confeito	confeito	Kind of star-shaped candy; related to confetti
koppu	コップ	copo	copo	Glass (for drinking)
kurusu	クルス	cruz	cruz	cross
marumero	木瓜 or マルメロ	marmelo	marmelo	quince
meriyasu	メリヤス・莫大小・目利安	meias	meias	hosiery, knitting
miira	ミイラ・木乃伊	mirra	mirra	myrrh	Embalmed human body
oranda	オランダ・和蘭(陀)・阿蘭陀	Hollanda	Holanda	The Netherlands, Holland
pan	パン・麺麭・麪包	pão	pão	bread	Often wrongly connected to the Spanish pan or the French pain, both with the same meaning. The word was introduced into Japan by Portuguese missionaries.^[1]
pandoro		Pão-de-ló	Pão-de-ló	a kind of portuguese cake
pin kara kiri made	ピンからキリまで	pinto, cruz		completely, utterly	Pin and kiri possibly from Portuguese.
rasha	羅紗	raxa	feltro	felt
rozario	ロザリオ	rosario	rosário	rosary
sabato	サバト	sábado	sábado	Saturday
saboten	サボテン・仙人掌		cacto	cactus
sarasa	更紗	saraça		chintz
shabon	シャボン	sabão	sabão	soap
shabondama	シャボン玉	sabão (Portuguese, soap) + 玉 (Japanese dama, ball)		soap bubble
shōro	ショーロ	choro	choro	weeping	From Daijirin, not included in Kōjien.
shurasuko	シュラスコ	churrasco	churrasco	barbecue	From Daijirin, not included in Kōjien.
subeta	すべた or スベタ	espada	espada	sword, unattractive woman
tabako	煙草・莨	tabaco	tabaco	tobacco, cigarette
totan	トタン・塗炭	tutanaga		zinc	Now used to mean galvanized sheet iron (e.g. corrugated roofing material) in Japanese.
tempura	天麩羅・天婦羅	tempero, temperas	tempero	seasoning
zabon	朱欒・香欒	zamboa		shaddock