Quote:
Originally Posted by GTJ
Alrighty boys and girls, let's get the linguists up here and go through some etymology! If there's another thread on this, I haven't seen it and am thus ignoring it. 
Cuz honestly, if I know the story behind a word, I'm 1,000 times more likely to remember it.
I was thinking today about the kanji for 日本. Anybody know why these kanji are used, and also what the significance or meaning--if any-- lie behind the country's name? I have my suspicions but I want to see what you all say first.
Also let's lay down some more etymological knowledge as we see fit. |
It's no secret. The name for Japan 日本 came from China.
Japan is east of China, so the kanji of Japan mean "the root of the sun" as the place from where the sun rises. That is why Japan is called "the land of the rising sun"...because it is east of China.