Words Borrowed from Japanese

Think of a language as a living thing. Like most things living, languages are always growing and changing. And today, in our highly connected world, these changes happen more and more quickly.

Most English words come from Latin, Germanic languages and French. But, in the last several hundred years, English has borrowed words and terms from other languages, such as Japanese.

Emoji - Let’s start with emoji. About 10 years ago, English speakers used the word emoticons for computer keyboard symbols that express emotion in electronic messages and on the Internet. That was before the invention of smiley face icons.

Then, in the late 1990s, a Japanese computer programmer named Shigetaku Kurita changed everything when he invented emoji -- images, icons and symbols that express meaning without words.

In Japanese, the word emoji means “pictograph” and comes from the word e meaning “picture” and moji, meaning “letter” or “character.” The similarity to the English word “emotion” is only by chance.

Honcho - Honcho, another word borrowed from Japanese, came into use around World War II.

In English, honcho means "person in charge.” In Japanese, the word is hancho. It means " squad leader" and comes from two words: han meaning “squad" and cho meaning "head" or "chief."

Imprisoned American servicemen in Japan learned about the word. Later, they brought it back with them to the United States.

Tycoon - Another borrowed Japanese word that describes someone who holds a lot of power is tycoon. In English, the word refers to a very wealthy and powerful businessperson.

Tycoon comes from the Japanese taikun meaning “great lord or prince.” The word comes from the Middle Chinese word tai kiun.

In the mid-1800s, the United States was ready to use military power to force Japan to re-open trade relations with the West. Navy officer Commodore Matthew Perry led the negotiations. When he arrived in Japan, he refused to meet with anyone other than the highest official in the empire.

The Japanese presented Perry with their shogun, or general of the Japanese army. But they were concerned that the English translation of his title would not seem powerful enough to Perry. So, they introduced their shogun using the title taikun.

What Perry – or the West – did not realize was that shoguns had more power than emperors in Japan at the time.

Perry’s negotiations with Japan were successful. And the word tycoon soon became popular in America. It came to mean “top leader.”

Edited from VOA News

Met mandatory admission fee

For the first time in half a century, visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art will have to pay a mandatory admission fee of $25 if they do not live in New York State under a new policy that begins March 1.

The change reflects the Met’s efforts to establish a reliable, annual revenue stream after a period of financial turbulence. But the move could provoke objections from suburbanites and tourists as well as from those who believe a taxpayer funded institution should be free to the public.

 “What we’re trying to do is find the right balance in generating revenue to support this enterprise,” Daniel Weiss, the Met’s president and chief executive officer, said in an interview.

The Met’s pay-as-you-wish tradition will continue for state residents, but they will be required, for the first time, to show address identification; those without it will be asked to bring it next time (but not turned away).

The Met is among the most prestigious institutions in the world, on par with the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim, but has long been distinguished from those museums for not charging a mandatory admissions fee. Instead, it has sustained itself through private donations and public dollars; the city contributes operating support every year, because it owns the Met’s Fifth Avenue building.

The Met currently receives about $26 million from the city. Under the new admissions policy, the $15 million that goes toward energy costs like heat and light will remain intact; the remaining $11 million which offsets the Met’s operating costs (for security and building staff) will reduce on a sliding scale after the first full year.

The Met’s reduced portion of city funds will be redirected to cultural institutions in undeserved parts of the city.

Fred Dixon, the chief executive of New York’s tourism agency, NYC & Company, said “I don’t think the new policy will affect the flow of visitors to the city.”

Principio del formulario

The admissions policy shift is one of the ways in which the Met is addressing a budget deficit that two years ago threatened to balloon to $40 million. While the museum now has a deficit of about $10 million, Mr. Weiss said it aims to balance its budget by 2020.

Though the required admission for out-of-towners will result in a relatively modest revenue increase, Mr. Weiss said, “If every part operates a little bit better, we can get where we need to go.”

Edited from The New York Times

Workplace Harmony (video)

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NY gym launches naked workout class

Hanson Fitness, a New York gym chain used by celebrities ranging from Rihanna to Sandra Bullock, is offering naked full body conditioning classes at its Soho location. The gym will start with three weekly nude exercise classes, one for women, one for men, and one mixed class. For those who want a more intimate nude exercise experience, there are private sessions available. 

"These naked personal training sessions are all about creating a ‘nude’ you’, as guests burn the calories while  nude," according to the gym’s Facebook event page.

So, what exactly are the benefits of working out nude? According to the gym, working out without clothes allows the skin to breathe, and "complete body awareness so you can see if you're cheating on your exercise routines."

"The class is designed to be a total body workout that uses your body weight as resistant making you look and feel good naked," the gym says on its Facebook page. 

According to Hanson Fitness, the advantages of training nude are fourfold:

1. It releases endorphins.

"Sunlight on the exposed skin will lead to the body producing Vitamin D which aids in bone and muscle health. Vitamin D also leads to serotonin production, the hormone responsible for our mood regulation."

2. It increases body awareness and empowerment.

"While you’re in your birthday suit, you can see every inch of your body which makes it easy to see if you’re cheating on your exercises."

3. It makes for unrestricted movement.

"While naked, there’s nothing at all holding you back. The only limitations are your own, not because you can’t move in a certain angle in your cute workout clothes."

4. Less laundry.

Pretty self-explanatory.

Still not convinced?  According to the gym's disclaimer, "nude underwear" can be worn during the workout sessions. 

Edited from Business Insider and USA Today