Abbreviations and Glossary of Japanese Terms
Abbreviations
| BL | British Library |
| cMJ | contemporary Modern Japanese |
| J. | ‘native’ Japanese word |
| LUB | Leiden Universiteitsbibliotheek |
| LUL | Leiden University Library |
| LWC | Language of wider communication |
| MTL | Modern Taiwanese Language (orthography) |
| NA | Nationaal Archief, The Hague |
| NDL | National Diet Library, Tokyo |
| NKD | Nihon kokugo daijiten |
| R.O.C. | Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| S.-J. | Sino-Japanese word |
| Ser. | Serrurier |
| SK | Seimi kaisō (1837–1849) |
| VOC | Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (‘Dutch East India Company’) |
| WNT | Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal (‘Dictionary of the Dutch language’) |
| WUL | Waseda University Library, Tokyo |
Glossary of Japanese Terms
| ateji 当て字 | lit. ‘assigned characters’, primarily refers to kanji used phonetically |
| bakufu 幕府 | Shogunal administration |
| Bansho shirabesho 蕃書調所 | ‘Office for the Investigation of Barbarian books’ |
| Bansho wage goyō 蕃書和解御用 | ‘Office for the Translation of Barbarian books’ |
| Betsudan fūsetsugaki 別段風説書 | ‘Special [Dutch] Book of Rumours’ |
| bugyō 奉行 | Governor of Nagasaki |
| daikan 代官 | (Nagasaki) magistrates |
| daimyō 大名 | ‘feudal lord’ |
| furigana 振り仮名 | kana to aid pronunciation |
| gairaigo 外来語 | ‘pure’ loanwords |
| goshuinsen 御朱印船 | trading ship authorized by the shogun |
| han 藩 | feudal domain |
| honzōgaku 本草学 | pharmacognosy |
| kana 仮名 | Japanese syllabaries including katakana (angular) and hiragana (cursive) |
| kanbun 漢文 | modified literary Sinitic used in Japan |
| kango 漢語 | Sino-Japanese (S.-J.) word. |
| keikotsūji 稽古通詞 | ‘apprentice interpreter’ |
| kotsūji 小通詞 | ‘junior interpreter’ |
| kundoku 訓読 | the reading or interpreting of Chinese texts by Japanese using a system of glosses and marks |
| kun’yaku 訓訳 | interpretative translation into Japanese with the addition of glosses |
| kun’yomi 訓読み | ‘native’ Japanese reading of kanji (kun-reading) |
| machidoshiyori 町年寄 | Nagasaki city elders |
| meisho-chō 銘書帳 | ‘Title ledgers’ |
| metsuke 目付 | censors or inspectors |
| Nagasaki kaisho 長崎会所 | the office that regulated commercial activity in Nagasaki |
| naitsūji 内通詞 | ‘private interpreters’ |
| ōmetsuke 大目付 | senior censor/inspector-general |
| on’yomi 音読み | Chinese-derived reading of kanji (on-reading) |
| Oranda fūsetsugaki 和蘭風説書 | ‘Dutch Book of Rumours’ |
| Orandayuki 阿蘭陀行 | lit. ‘women who go to the Dutch’ |
| otona 乙名 | heads of wards in Nagasaki, some of whom had oversight of Deshima |
| ōtsūji 大通詞 | ‘senior interpreter’ |
| ranga 蘭画 | Dutch-style art |
| rangaku 蘭学 | Dutch studies |
| rangakusha 蘭学者 | Student or disciple of Dutch studies |
| ranpeki-daimyō 蘭癖 (らんぺき) 大名 | daimyō ‘crazy’ about all things Dutch |
| ranpō 蘭方 | Dutch/Western medicine |
| ransho 蘭書 | Dutch books |
| rōmaji 羅馬字 | Roman script used to write Japanese |
| ryū 流 | School of thought |
| sakoku 鎖国 | The period during which access to Japan was restricted |
| shijuku 私塾 | Private academies |
| Tenmondai 天文台 | Astronomical observatory or ‘Bureau of Astronomy’ in Edo |
| Tenmonkata 天文方 | ‘Astronomy officers’ |
| tōtsūji 唐通詞 | Chinese interpreters in Nagasaki |
| tsūji nakama 通詞仲間 | ‘Interpreters’ Guild’ |
| wago 和語 or Yamato kotoba 大和言葉 | a ‘native’ Japanese word (J.). |
| yōgaku 洋学 | Western studies |
| Yōsho shirabesho 洋書調所 | ‘Office for the Investigation of Western Books’ |
| yottsu no kuchi 四つの口 | ‘four gates’ |