Re: Language naming terminology

Our word for [Japan] is from the Chinese pronunciation of the word:
[Jih-pen (Wade) / Ryhbeen (Gwoyeu) / Rben (Yale) ]:[spelling (which
Romanization]

Chuugoku and Kankoku are also from Chinese names for these countries.
[Jonggwo, Haan-gwo (Gwoyeu)
Nik Taylor wrote:
> Japan = Nihon or Nippon (written with kanji meaning "origin" and "sun")
> China = Chuugoku (written with kanji meaning "middle" and "country")
> Korea = Kankoku (written with a compound kanji, the second means
> "country", I don't know what the first means)
[Eikoku] and [Beikoku] are from the Chinese [Inggwo, Miigwo (a varient
of Meeigwo (Beautiful-country)] shorten versions of [Injyilih (in
Japanese: Igiri(su)), Yahmeelihjia (Jap: Amerika)

[Supein] is apparently from the English word for the country.

> England = Eikoku (literally "Proud" or "Brilliant" Country!) OR Igirisu
> (I don't know why it's not *Ingirisu)
> Spain = Supein (not *Esupanya)
> America = Amerika or Beikoku (literally "Country of Rice"!)
>
In Chinese to shorten long foreign words they sometimes take the first
character from the longer version of the word and add another word that
describes what they are talking about.
And when the Japanese borrowed the words [Beikoku, Eikoku, Beikoku],
this apparent was the then-current names of the countries.

> I don't know why some have -koku at the end, but they retain those with
> nationality and language, so Korean person = Kankokujin, Korean language
> = Kankokugo
>
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