Sunday, July 13, 2008
Tree, hand, want and understand and their closest equivalents in Japanese
Tree, wood and ki
Tree refers only to the structure of the living tree and is not applicable once the tree is cut or dead, when the word wood is used. Tree suggests growth, roots, branches, support, origin, nature and outdoors. It is connected to leaves, shade, water, air, fertility, health, environment, a positive physical space, open space. Wood on the other hand is not alive, it is a resource or a material. It is used for building and burning and is also turned into other materials such as paper. It has some connection with wealth, as expensive woods have been valued from the distant past, and also with simplicity, genuineness and quality. On the other hand using the word ki for both the living and dead tree suggest continuity of the essence of the living tree even once it is dead. This was probably important in the past as trees had spiritual significance. However another effect, probably more pronounced in recent years, is that it also associates the living tree closely with a resource and makes it less of a romantic idea than I think tree is in English.
Hand and te
Hand refers to the physical body part, to utility, to practicality and agency of the self. Te seems to emphasise the ability of the hand to take in other things within it, for example the idea of holding hands te wo tsunagu seems to include the concept of being strongly connected with others, being one with them, far more so than in English. The idea of holding hands seems to be more in the physical sensation of the joined hands and in the two separate people that are brought together by this small and deliberate link.
Want and hoshi
Hoshi is translated as want in English and is used in similar situations. However I feel that with the emotion it expresses it would be better expressed as desire. Want is a very primitive idea in that it seems to be grounded in a reflex that exists possibly partly instinctively. It is very easy to imagine feeling "want" even without being able to feel strong emotions. The feeling seems to be grounded in the arms and arouse an uneasy, figety feeling of desire for action. Hoshi is the word that is used all the time in Japanese where want is used, for example, in asking someone what they want for their birthday. However it is a very similar feeling to the word desire in English, it suggests a deeper emotion, more permanently present but more easily repressed or put aside. It seems to require at least a small amount of activity by the brain as well as certainly feeling.
Understand and wakaru
Understand in English is a deeper and more complicated process than wakaru in Japanese. Wakaru is actually somewhere in between the scale of "know" and "understand", although there is a separate word in Japanese for "know". It means the ability to divide something up, to process it in the mind. There is no need to use much else than the brain to do this, while understand requires some individual emotional effort be put in.
Tree refers only to the structure of the living tree and is not applicable once the tree is cut or dead, when the word wood is used. Tree suggests growth, roots, branches, support, origin, nature and outdoors. It is connected to leaves, shade, water, air, fertility, health, environment, a positive physical space, open space. Wood on the other hand is not alive, it is a resource or a material. It is used for building and burning and is also turned into other materials such as paper. It has some connection with wealth, as expensive woods have been valued from the distant past, and also with simplicity, genuineness and quality. On the other hand using the word ki for both the living and dead tree suggest continuity of the essence of the living tree even once it is dead. This was probably important in the past as trees had spiritual significance. However another effect, probably more pronounced in recent years, is that it also associates the living tree closely with a resource and makes it less of a romantic idea than I think tree is in English.
Hand and te
Hand refers to the physical body part, to utility, to practicality and agency of the self. Te seems to emphasise the ability of the hand to take in other things within it, for example the idea of holding hands te wo tsunagu seems to include the concept of being strongly connected with others, being one with them, far more so than in English. The idea of holding hands seems to be more in the physical sensation of the joined hands and in the two separate people that are brought together by this small and deliberate link.
Want and hoshi
Hoshi is translated as want in English and is used in similar situations. However I feel that with the emotion it expresses it would be better expressed as desire. Want is a very primitive idea in that it seems to be grounded in a reflex that exists possibly partly instinctively. It is very easy to imagine feeling "want" even without being able to feel strong emotions. The feeling seems to be grounded in the arms and arouse an uneasy, figety feeling of desire for action. Hoshi is the word that is used all the time in Japanese where want is used, for example, in asking someone what they want for their birthday. However it is a very similar feeling to the word desire in English, it suggests a deeper emotion, more permanently present but more easily repressed or put aside. It seems to require at least a small amount of activity by the brain as well as certainly feeling.
Understand and wakaru
Understand in English is a deeper and more complicated process than wakaru in Japanese. Wakaru is actually somewhere in between the scale of "know" and "understand", although there is a separate word in Japanese for "know". It means the ability to divide something up, to process it in the mind. There is no need to use much else than the brain to do this, while understand requires some individual emotional effort be put in.
Cat and Neko, Home and Uchi
Cat and Neko
Cat calls to mind a slinky, powerful, feminine creature, with smooth glossy fur. It has a long, smooth tail with sharp motions, it is independent and aloof. It is associated with magic, owing to its sly and unpredictible disposition. Its eyes are a glowing yellow or green, its teeth are sharp and its nails strong. It is not as domesticated as the dog, retaining natural desires to hunt and kill. It usually first calls to mind a striped tabby, somewhat resembling a wild cat in its patterns.
Neko is smaller and rounder, it is usually shown in splotches of brown, black and white, resembling the patterns of other domesticated pets such as rabbits, gunia pigs and hamsters. Its tail is shorter and softer and less active. Its actions are delicate and understated. If abandoned as a pet, it does not return to the wild but continues to require human contact and protection.
Home and Uchi
Uchi is the Japanese word for home, as opposed to the word for house which is yie. Home and uchi are two different concepts. Home emphasises the physical structure, a warm, cosy place which creates a warm feeling between the people co-residing there. Both words also express the relationship between the people that live at home as well as the physical structure. Home suggests safety, belonging, and comfort. It is closely associated with a person's place in the world, and with the longing of the heart for the familiar and loved. From this idea come the word homesick, and sayings such as "home is where the heart is". When one is going back to one's own house, one says "going home" but a friend or outsider is invited "to my house". Even a close friend cannot come to my home, it is reserved for family members.
Uchi makes me think of a more isolated, darker, cooler place than home, possibly due simply to the physical appearence of Japanese homes. It refers to private space and to the self and its extensions, which include the family and the house. Japanese children will often say uchi instead "I" to indicate themselves. It also means inner and is in contrast to public space and public behaviour.
Cat calls to mind a slinky, powerful, feminine creature, with smooth glossy fur. It has a long, smooth tail with sharp motions, it is independent and aloof. It is associated with magic, owing to its sly and unpredictible disposition. Its eyes are a glowing yellow or green, its teeth are sharp and its nails strong. It is not as domesticated as the dog, retaining natural desires to hunt and kill. It usually first calls to mind a striped tabby, somewhat resembling a wild cat in its patterns.
Neko is smaller and rounder, it is usually shown in splotches of brown, black and white, resembling the patterns of other domesticated pets such as rabbits, gunia pigs and hamsters. Its tail is shorter and softer and less active. Its actions are delicate and understated. If abandoned as a pet, it does not return to the wild but continues to require human contact and protection.
Home and Uchi
Uchi is the Japanese word for home, as opposed to the word for house which is yie. Home and uchi are two different concepts. Home emphasises the physical structure, a warm, cosy place which creates a warm feeling between the people co-residing there. Both words also express the relationship between the people that live at home as well as the physical structure. Home suggests safety, belonging, and comfort. It is closely associated with a person's place in the world, and with the longing of the heart for the familiar and loved. From this idea come the word homesick, and sayings such as "home is where the heart is". When one is going back to one's own house, one says "going home" but a friend or outsider is invited "to my house". Even a close friend cannot come to my home, it is reserved for family members.
Uchi makes me think of a more isolated, darker, cooler place than home, possibly due simply to the physical appearence of Japanese homes. It refers to private space and to the self and its extensions, which include the family and the house. Japanese children will often say uchi instead "I" to indicate themselves. It also means inner and is in contrast to public space and public behaviour.
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