Wasei-Eigo
/ˌwɑː.seɪ ˈeɪ.ɡoʊ/noun
Japanese vocabulary created from English words or English-like elements, often with meanings or usages not found in English.
Did you know?Wasei-eigo literally means “Japanese-made English,” and many examples—such as salaryman and skinship—sound English while being Japanese creations or Japanese reworkings.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Sino-Japanese
和
“harmony, Japan, Japanese; later read wa in Japanese”
Ancient Chinese
Sino-Japanese
製
“made, manufactured, produced”
Ancient Chinese
Sino-Japanese
英語
“English language; 英 means “England” or “English,” while 語 means “language” or “word””
Late 19th–Early 20th Century
Japanese
和製英語
“English made in Japan; Japanese-created English expressions”
20th Century
Japanese
wasei-eigo
“Romanized form used in English-language discussion of these Japanese expressions”
Modern English
English
wasei-eigo
“Japanese English: English-derived or English-styled vocabulary with Japanese meanings, pronunciation, or usage”