Japonais
/ʒa.pɔ.nɛ/noun
A French word meaning Japanese, or a Japanese person.
Did you know?French japonais ultimately comes from the name Japan, which entered European languages through layers of trade and transliteration from Malay and Portuguese, showing how words can travel like cargo across ancient sea routes.
Etymological Timeline
Modern French
French
japonais
“Japanese; a Japanese person”
16th Century
Portuguese
japão
“Japan”
16th Century
Malay
jepang
“Japan”
13th-14th Century
Middle Chinese
Cipangu
“A name used in East Asian and European transmission for Japan”
Classical Chinese
Chinese
Rìběn
“Japan, literally 'sun origin'”