[KS] A Question about the term hanbando

[Holman, Martin]

"Peninsula" is from "paene" (almost) and "insula" (island). (Similarly, penultimate winds up meaning "almost the end/next to last.") Ah, that high school and college Latin finally proves valuable!

I am at home now without the requisite reference works at hand, but I scarcely think that it would require the putative "island nation mentality" of the Japanese to realize that there are peninsulas (peninsulae??) wherever there is water--including scads of almost-islands sticking out of Japan. I would venture a guess that the Chinese had a term (and it was ??) for the Floridas, Jutlands, and Sinais of China many long centuries before most Japanese (as a people, anyway) even recognized that they were actually ON an island. 

I assume a dictionary check would reveal the vintage in China of the term ??. Though they are a far more creative people than many give them credit for, I can't quite imagine that the Japanese invented the word.

FWIW,

Marty
______________________
Prof. J. Martin Holman
Coordinator, Japanese Studies Program
Director, Bunraku Bay Puppet Troupe
443 General Classroom Building 
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211

Tel. (573) 882-3368   holmanma at missouri.edu
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-----Original Message-----
From: koreanstudies-bounces at koreaweb.ws on behalf of Ruediger Frank
Sent: Tue 5/9/2006 1:45 AM
To: Korean Studies Discussion List
Subject: Re: [KS] A Question about the term hanbando
 
Christopher,

fascinating question, in particular concerning the "han" part. On "bando", here comes a 
layman's contribution from outside East Asia: the German word for peninsula is 
"Halbinsel", literally "half-island" - maybe that's why I for one never questioned the 
usual translation of bando. In Russian it is "poluostrov" or so, also "half-island". No 
strings attached here, it seems. I would not be surprised if the classical origin of the 
English "peninsula" would have the same meaning (is it Greek or Latin?); I am sure that at 
least the linguists on this list can answer that perfectly.

Best,

Ruediger

Christopher Liao schrieb:
> *A Question about the term /hanbando/*
> 
>  
> 
> Dear listmembers,
> 
>  
> 
>  Im Dae-sik, the head editor of yoksa pipy'ong had asked me to translate 
> the following and to solicit your opinions about the word "the Korean 
> peninsula " (/hanbando/).
> 
>  
> 
> Christopher Liao
> 
>  
> --------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> 
> 
>  
> 
>              I'm curious about the origins of the term /hanbando /(?? 
> ?). Korea is also known by the name "hanbando. " This name also appears 
> in the article regarding sovereign territory in the South Korean 
> constitution. It collectively refers to the two Koreas and distinguishes 
> the two from other nations and nationalities. South Koreans are 
> instilled with a sense of ethnic pride when they vocalize the word 
> /hanbando/. I am curious about the origins of this word.
> 
>              I am guessing this term was first used or popularized by 
> the Japanese as early as the 1900s. I have seen /hanbando /in the title 
> of Japanese books published during this time.
> 
>              /Hanbando/ is a combination of /han/ and /bando/. Here the 
> meaning of /han/ differs from the South Korean meaning of "Korea, " and 
> the Japanese usage of this Chinese character carried connotations of 
> derogation towards Korea. As evidenced by the inclusion of this Chinese 
> character in the combinations such as "????? " (/sankan 
> seibatsuron/ in Japanese) and "???" (/seikanron / in Japanese), it 
> tends to consider "Korea " in an inferior light. If we take a look at 
> Japanese documents before the Meiji Reformation, instead of /Ch//osen/, 
> we find that / Han/ was actually used more widely to refer to Korea. The 
> Japanese usage of /Han /was similar to the Korean usage of /wae/ (?) to 
> refer to Japan from a position of authority.
> 
>              Moving on to /bando/, I am guessing that it is a Japanese 
> translation of the English word "peninsula." Although a peninsula is 
> certainly not an island, there is a high possibility that "peninsula" 
> was originally coined by the Japanese to mean "semi-island " due to 
> Japan's worldview derived from its existence as an island nation. Both 
> China and South Korea use the word /bando /to refer to a peninsula. I 
> infer that this Japan-centric translation of this word is widely used 
> throughout the Chinese-character-cultural sphere.
> 
>              I am interested in how the term /bando/ came to be 
> translated from the English word "peninsula " and what process it went 
> through before settling firmly within the languages of Chinese, 
> Japanese, and Korean. I am also interested in soliciting your views on 
> an alternative translation of the English word "peninsula. "


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