Japon
/dʒəˈpɒn/noun
An archaic or foreign-language form referring to Japan.
Did you know?The English name Japan ultimately came through Portuguese and earlier Chinese forms that reflected how outsiders heard the country’s name, not how its people called it themselves.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Middle Chinese
日本
“"sun origin"; the name used for Japan, referring to the land where the sun rises”
7th Century
Japanese
Nippon / Nihon
“Native Japanese reading of 日本, meaning "origin of the sun"”
13th Century
Chinese
Rìběn
“Chinese reading of 日本, "sun origin"”
14th Century
Italian
Cipangu
“Marco Polo's rendering of a wealthy island kingdom in East Asia”
16th Century
Portuguese
Japão
“Portuguese form of Japan, likely mediated through Malay and Chinese trade routes”
Modern English
English
Japan
“The country in East Asia; the modern English name”