places (Japan)

--- Roger Mills <romilly@...> wrote:
> Re Japan, and it's various versions (sorry, I've
> deleted the earlier messages too soon)--   Some of
> the oldest world maps have it as Cipango-- looks
> like an Italian attempt at the Chinese name.  I'm
> not so sure English got "Japan" via the Brits in
> Malaya (Indonesian is Jepang [dZ@'paN] BTW)-- seems
> a little late, historically speaking....?
Hmm, well I admit that I don't recall too much from my
Japan-history classes -- yeah, poor student me...
Anyhow, I do remember have seen that word before - and
it does look Italian - but somehow I have the sneaking
suspicion that the Portuguese were the first ones to
come to Japan.  In Portuguese, one says Japao (tilde
over second a)....

Matt33

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