Cipangu
/ˌsiːˈpæŋ.ɡuː/noun
A historical European name for Japan, especially in medieval and early modern travel literature.
Did you know?Cipangu entered Europe through Marco Polo’s reports of Japan, likely filtered through Chinese and/or Japanese forms, and became a legendary place of gold in the medieval imagination.
Etymological Timeline
13th Century
Italian/Latin
Cipangu
“A reported island kingdom in the far East, identified with Japan”
13th Century
Italian (via Chinese/Japanese transmission)
Jipangu / Zipangu
“Medieval transcribed form of the name heard in travel accounts”
Medieval Chinese
Chinese
Rìběnguó (日本国)
““Country of the sun’s origin,” the formal name for Japan”
Classical Japanese
Japanese
Nippon / Nihon (日本)
““Origin of the sun,” Japan”
Modern English
English
Cipangu
“Historical or literary name for Japan”