Years of Poems and Spirits

I always wondered how many Chinese words were “imported” from overseas (舶来品), particularly from Japan. My impression is that because Japan opened earlier and wider to the West than China, there was a period of ”introductive enlightenment” from Japan to China. If so, by sorting out the Japanese words in daily Chinese, one may be able to reversely profile the depth and intensity of this exchange.

Came across this article here “日货”无处不在:当代中国汉语竟有七成是”日本话”, here are some samples (with some apparent errors or unsustained claims):

健康、卫生、… 储蓄、反感、化妆品、接吻、… 企业、…生产、体育、通货膨胀、…文化、文明、文学、… 大气污染、关节炎、抗体、麻醉药、牵引、弱视、色盲、糖尿病、听力、血压、……

70%多的人文学科和社会生活用词，都是源于日本汉语。如果，我们不用这些外来词，我们几乎张不开口，说不成整句，甚至可以说，会影响我们的语义表达。 (Need to verify the 70% number)

Other examples – F:、发明、法律、法人、法庭、法则、番号、反动、反对、反感、反射、反响、反应、泛神论、泛心论、范畴、方案、方程式、方程、方针、放射、分解、分配、分析、分子、风琴、封建、封锁、否定、否决、否认、服务、服用、辐射、复式、复员、复制、副食、副官、副手……；(封建 is obviously not right)

　　G:、改编、改订、概括、概略、概念、概算、感性、干部、干事、干线、纲领、高潮、高利贷、高炉、高射炮、高周波、歌剧、工业、攻守同盟、公报、公立、公民、公判、公仆、公认公诉、公营、公债、共产主义、共和、共鸣、古柯、固定、固体、故障、关系、观测、观点、观度、观念、观照、光年、光线、广场、广告、广义、归纳、规范、规则、国际、国教、国库、国立、国税、国体、过渡……；

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