Category: Interesting facts

The name “Japan” has a fascinating history rooted in its interactions with neighboring cultures and early European explorers. In Japanese, the country is called “Nihon” (日本), which translates to “origin of the sun”, highlighting it’s position east of China. 

The term “Japan” emerged from early trade interactions. The Chinese pronunciation of the characters 日本 was “Cipan”, which Portuguese traders in Southwest Asia heard as “Jipang” or “Japon”. These versions were introduced to Europe in the early 16th century, eventually evolving into the English “Japan”. 

As we settle into mid-November and the days grow colder, the Dutch have some perfect words for this time of year. 🍂

One is ‘uitwaaien’ (pronounced out-vye-en), which means taking a refreshing walk in the wind to clear your mind. Another is ‘gezellig’ (pronounced heh-zell-ikh), capturing the warm, cosy feeling of being indoors with friends and family. 

Shichi-Go-San (七五三), is a traditional Japanese festival celebrated on November 15th each year. It’s a coming of age celebration for children aged three, five, and seven, as these ages are considered significant milestones in a child’s growth. During the festival children are dressed in traditional kimonos and taken to Shinto shrines, where prayers are offered for their health and well-being.

In Italy, there’s a superstition around sitting at the corner of a table – it’s believed that sitting in this spot brings bad luck, especially for single people. The idea is rooted in historical social customs, where seating arrangements reflected one’s social status and prospects.  

In the spirit of Halloween, here are some eerie words from around the world: 🎃

-Tengu (Japanese, pronounced ten-goo): In Japanese folklore, Tengu are mischievous mountain spirits with red faces and long noses, known for playing pranks on humans and guarding sacred spaces.

-Poltergeist (German, pronounced pole-ter-gahyst): known globally, this term refers to a noisy ghost that disturbs the living by moving objects or making sounds. 

-Púca (Irish/Gaeilge, pronounced poo-ka): A shape-shifting spirit tied to ‘Samhain’ (Halloween’s Celtic origin), a “púca” appears as a black horse or mischievous goblin. 

Colour is a powerful tool in communication, but its meaning can vary across cultures. 

For example, while white represents purity and innocence in many Western cultures, it symbolises mourning and death in places like China and India. Green represents nature and growth in the West but can carry negative connotations of conflict or infidelity in Indonesia. Even brands like Euro Disney have faced challenges as their use of purple in Europe clashed with its association of death in Catholic countries. 

Have you realised how naming traditions vary across the world? 

For instance, in Japan, baby names are carefully chosen based on Kanji characters, which carry both symbolic and phonetic significance. Parents often consider the meaning in the characters to reflect qualities they hope their child will embody. 

In our home country of Ireland, although English is the main everyday language, many people choose Irish names for their children, such as Saoirse, Oisín and Aoife, which connect to mythological stories and heritage.

Meanwhile in India, names are often chosen based on astrological charts, with Hindu parents consulting astrologers to see that the child’s name relates to their nakshatra (lunar constellation), to bring harmony and good fortune. 

How was your name or your child’s name chosen? Feel free to share your story in the comments – I’d love to hear!

The Arabic influence on Spanish is significant, dating back to nearly 800 years of Arab rule in Spain. Roughly around 4,000 Spanish words come from Arabic, especially those starting with “al” such as alcalde (mayor), algodón (cotton), and almohada (pillow). 

But our favourite of all these is probably “ojalá”, meaning “God willing”, which is a direct borrowing from a well known Arabic expression – who can guess which one?

Many ancient mythologies recount stories about the origins of language. One of the most well-known is the story of the Tower of Babel from Judeo-Christian tradition, which provides a mythological explanation for the multiplicity of languages in the world. It relates a story about how people originally all spoke one language. When they decided to build a tower so high it reached the sky, God punished them for their arrogance by scattering them about the earth and giving them many different languages so that they would never again be able to communicate and cooperate to such a sophisticated degree

Image Source: https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths…/tower-babel-001751

Only human beings speak languages per se, but of course other animals also use vocalisations and body language to communicate. Mammals and birds with greater cognitive abilities can use relatively complex systems to get their message across. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises, for example, use a wide variety of sounds, and researchers have discovered that there are dialectal differences between particular pods or extended family groups.