Random thought time!
Kami or paper
I enjoy doing origami. I don't have time to do it often, but when I do find time, it helps me relax. It also good to know some simple models to help bond with children, as I think most kids love doing it.
So anyway, I sometimes watch origami videos on YouTube. One thing I've noticed very recently is that many of the people in these videos refer to origami paper as "kami" and they use the word as distinct from other paper. For example, one video I just watched said "You can use printer paper cut to square for this model or regular kami" and he showed a standard 15cm square sheet of paper when he said kami. This usage started a while ago, but it was slow to catch on. But now, as of 2021, it seems like just about every video I watch uses it.
This is... weird. kami means paper in Japanese. So saying "use printer paper or kami" is nonsensical because it is essentially saying "use printer paper or paper".
Uhm... yeah. So... I should use paper then, right? Gotcha, Bruh.
Origami paper isn't some kind of special paper, it is just of a light weight, around the same thickness as notebook paper, cut to square (15cm is the standard) and colored on one or both side.
But ok, I get that the English-speaking origami community has adopted the word kami to mean this specific standard weight/size/colored combination of origami paper. It is just weird. And it makes for potential confusion when talking to Japanese speakers.
One can imagine a non-Japanese origami enthusiast asking a Japanese person[1] "Should I use regular paper for this model or kami?" and getting a confused look in response.
"Uhm... yes."
I suppose this isn't the first time.
The Anime Confusion
The same thing has happened with anime. Anime in Japanese is simply short[2] for animēshon, the Japanese pronunciation of the loanword "animation". So in Japan "anime" means any animation, be it a Japanese animated movie like Totoro or a Disney one like Lion King. You can see the potential for confusion. I have witnessed many many foreigners come to Japan, tell Japanese people "I really love anime" only to hear the Japanese person say "Me too—Disney is my favorite!"[3].
A Loanword Problem
This is probably actually a common thing when words move from one language to another, either becoming more specific or more broad in meaning and losing a 1:1 connection with the original word. With that in mind, I can't really complain about it when I see it happening in real time, such as with the English origami community's adoption of the word kami, but as someone who knows both languages, it is just.... Weird and confusing.
Can anyone think of other loanwords that had their meanings grow or shrink when they moved into the new language? Comment below if you can. I'm curious!
 | David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. |
A not uncommon occurrence. As origami is from Japan and remains a very Japanese art, most origami events in other countries also function as meeting places for Japanese people. ↩
They love making words short in Japanese, making this a very common thing, especially from loanwords (which typically become too long when they enter Japanese). Some more examples: Word Processor, wādo purosessa, becomes wāpuro; personal computer, pāsonaru konoyūta, becomes pasokon; Office lady (female office worker), ofisu redei, becomes ooeru (usually written "OL"). You get the idea. ↩
Disney is, I daresay, orders of magnitude more popular in Japan than in the States. ↩