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From: HenHanna <HenHanna@devnull.tb>
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english,sci.lang
Subject: Re: Japs can't pronounce L's (the Japanese convert L's into R's)
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2024 14:42:38 -0700
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On 7/4/2024 2:24 PM, Ross Clark wrote:
> On 5/07/2024 8:29 a.m., J. J. Lodder wrote:
>> Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> wrote:
>>
>>> nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) writes:
>>>
>>>> Whoever, it is a good usage point to remember that 'Jap',
>>>> no matter how used, is considered to be denigrating and insulting
>>>> by the Japanese. Even as Jap., in well-meaning abbreviations.
>>>>
>>>> So best advice is to avoid it under all circumstances,
>>>
>>> Interesting to note that Neal Stephenson, in _Cryptonomicon_, has
>>> USain characters, marines actively engaged in WWII in the Pacific
>>> theater who consistently refer to their foes as "Nips".
>>>
>>> The only occasion of "Jap" usage is by a Colonel at Marine Barracks
>>> in DC when interviewing a seargeant recently returned form active
>>> combat duty in the Pacific.  A footnote says,
>>>
>>>      Men with experience in Asia use the term "Nip".  The Colonel's use
>>>      of "Jap" suggests that his career has been spent in the Atlantic
>>>      and/or Caribbean.
>>>
>>> P. 114 in the original hardcover ed. if anyone cares.
>>
>> There a a few other uses of 'Jap' in the book,
>> outnumbered by the use of 'Nips'.
>> The author also uses 'Nipponese' a lot.
>> But then the 'Yanks also outnumber the Americans.
>>
>> During wars, many people may use denigrating slang
>> to refer to their enemies.
>> It is also common that after those wars have been over for some time,
>> using the same denigrating terms gets frowned upon.
>> It gets to be regarded as uncivilised behaviour.
>> Like refering to Hirohito, on a state visit to the Netherlands,
>> as 'that Jap'. (1971)
>>
>> Some groups however suffer from deep frustrations,
>> and go on with it forever.
>> It becomes just a symptom,
>>
>> Jan
>>


by [symptom] -- you mean like a disease
                             or a (psych.)  disorder?


> 
> "Nippon" is the way they say it in Japanese (nowadays more commonly 
> "Nihon"). The J- versions have come to the west via Chinese (cf. Marco 
> Polo's "Zipangu"). Perhaps that is part of what the Japanese don't like 
> about them.
> 
> This all brought back a phrase which lodged in my mind years ago. My 
> sister was reading "Three Came Home", Agnes Newton Keith's memoir of her 
> experiences in a Japanese internment camp in North Borneo, 1942-45. The 
> internees were allowed to write letters to family, but they were 
> required to refer to their captors as "the friendly Nipponese".
> 


that's pretty interesting.

                    When Brits were beginning to trade in China...

there was a certain character that the Chinese like to
use for Westerners... (whch they resented so much that....)