{"id":2103,"date":"2022-04-25T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-25T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/troubadourworks.com\/tiandi\/meotw\/?p=2103"},"modified":"2025-03-14T13:54:51","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T20:54:51","slug":"kalaok","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/troubadourworks.com\/tiandi\/meotw\/2022\/04\/25\/kalaok\/","title":{"rendered":"k\u01cel\u0101\u2019OK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3>\n\t\t\t<span onclick=\"plus(this)\">k\u01cel\u0101\u2019OK<\/span><span class=\"plusinfo a\" onclick=\"minus(this)\">\n(<span class=\"mt\">karaoke<\/span>\n\u5361\u62c9OK)<\/span>\n\n<span style=\"color: hsl(100, 85%, 40%);\"> \u2190 Tap\/click to show\/hide the \u201cflashcard\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p>The selection of this week\u2019s MEotW, \u201c<span onclick=\"plus(this)\"><i>k\u01cel\u0101\u2019OK<\/i><\/span><span class=\"plusinfo\" onclick=\"minus(this)\">\n(<span class=\"mt\">karaoke<\/span>\n\u5361\u62c9OK)<\/span>\u201d, was inspired by a Twitter thread of epic linguistic and etymological nerdery that I recently came across, which begins with this tweet:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">In this thread I\u2019m going to talk about one of my favorite etymologies. The history of this word has got it all: it\u2019s a fascinating tale of multi-lingual and multi-cultural interaction, full of surprises. I&#8217;m excited, let&#8217;s go! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2JkZ1xNMe7\">pic.twitter.com\/2JkZ1xNMe7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355042514827268099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Here are some of the tweets in this thread, which summarize how \u201c<span onclick=\"plus(this)\"><i>k\u01cel\u0101\u2019OK<\/i><\/span><span class=\"plusinfo\" onclick=\"minus(this)\">\n(<span class=\"mt\">karaoke<\/span>\n\u5361\u62c9OK)<\/span>\u201d became a word in Mandarin:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Our tale begins in reverse chronological order with this rather bizarre-looking written Chinese word:<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u5361\u62c9OK\u201d<\/p>\n<p>pronounced k\u01cel\u0101\u2019\u014duk\u0113i in Mandarin. (Hang onto your hats, we\u2019ll get to the Japanese source word soon.)<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355042516056203264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">\u201c\u5361\u62c9OK\u201d is a fully *phonographic* (purely sound-based) representation of the spoken Mandarin word k\u01cel\u0101\u2019\u014duk\u0113i, a four-syllable word with no meaningful sub-parts. The two characters \u5361 and \u62c9 are phonograms. That is, they represent only two meaningless syllables.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355042518224658437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The two letters O and K are also phonograms. They also represent two meaningless syllables. Specifically, they represent the syllables that have the same pronunciation as the Chinese names of the letters. Those Mandarin letter names are borrowed from American English.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355042520120455173?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">We have to accept the fact that modern Chinese orthography includes roman letters alongside Chinese characters. It\u2019s a writing system that uses two scripts.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355042522012127232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"ja\">The Mandarin word k\u01cel\u0101&#8217;\u014duk\u0113i is, of course, a borrowed form of the Japanese word karaoke, most often written entirely in katakana as \u30ab\u30e9\u30aa\u30b1. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/q5kYZTv2cD\">pic.twitter.com\/q5kYZTv2cD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355043537264406531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Well, the word is actually a compound. It\u2019s made up of two meaningful parts combined together. The first part is kara, a native Japanese word that is normally written \u7a7a, meaning \u2018empty\u2019. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6y5VrTzrxb\">pic.twitter.com\/6y5VrTzrxb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355044127746846721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Even if you don\u2019t speak Japanese, you probably are familiar with this word kara, though you may not realize it. It\u2019s exactly the same kara as in karate, the Japanese martial art. Karate literally means \u201cempty hand\u201d, because this martial art is practiced without weaponry <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yqE5HqZGcW\">pic.twitter.com\/yqE5HqZGcW<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355044131735699457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Okay, so we\u2019ve figured out the first half of karaoke: it\u2019s kara \u7a7a \u2018empty\u2019. So what then is oke? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OCDe1e7PHn\">pic.twitter.com\/OCDe1e7PHn<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355044858319101952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The source word is \u201corchestra\u201d. Borrowing into Japanese as \u014dkesutora, it was then abbreviated (which is not uncommon for very long borrowings) down to its first two syllables: oke.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355049105525886977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">So karaoke is a Japanese hybrid compound, a Frankenstein monster of a word stitched together from two parts with disparate origins.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355049106637377536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The first half is the native Japanese word kara meaning \u2018empty\u2019, and the second half is an abbreviation oke of the borrowed English word \u014dkesutora meaning \u2018orchestra\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355049107472093190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">So karaoke literally means \u201cempty orchestra\u201d. Why? Because when you sing karaoke, the song has been metaphorically emptied of its lyrical content, leaving only the instrumental part behind. It\u2019s up to you, the singer, to fill that emptiness.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355051021601411075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">One of the most common situations in which a word gets borrowed across languages is when an object or practice is borrowed across cultures. Lacking a word for this new thing, the borrowing cultures readily adopt the word used in the source culture\u2019s language. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JN0Wv3AE6s\">pic.twitter.com\/JN0Wv3AE6s<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355051025682427905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">So, as the practice of karaoke traveled around the world, propelled by the cultural prominence of Japan in the late 20th century, the Japanese word \u201ckaraoke\u201d became English \u201ckaraoke\u201d and Mandarin \u201ck\u01cel\u0101\u2019\u014duk\u0113i\u201d. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ynjk7wzFJi\">pic.twitter.com\/Ynjk7wzFJi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355051029562224640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The West gave Japan the orchestra, and then Japan gave the empty orchestra back to the West. The names for these things traveled with them back and forth across the world.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355052581035204610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The Japanese word karaoke was borrowed into Mandarin as k\u01cel\u0101\u2019\u014duk\u0113i. In this case, there is no return of a loaned word\u2014there are no Chinese elements lurking in the history of the Japanese word. Once in Chinese, the spoken word is rendered into writing purely phonographically.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355053852085477378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">But in an odd twist\u2014a delightful bit of serendipity\u2014the phonograms chosen to represent the four syllables of this word in writing are two Chinese characters and two roman letters. Why two roman letters instead of the characters \u6b50\u524b, which have the pronunciations \u014du and k\u0113i?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355053853234794500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">My guess is that the written form is influenced by the nearly universal prevalence of the English word okay, known to people around the world in the written form \u201cOK\u201d. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ssajictf7g\">pic.twitter.com\/ssajictf7g<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355053856455946240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Why do I call this a delightful bit of serendipity, the sort of thing that gives an etymologist a thrill?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355053857731006467?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Because, unbeknownst to either Chinese or English speakers, the part of the Chinese word written with roman letters is *precisely* the part that comes from English: orchestra &gt; \u014dkesutura &gt; oke &gt; \u014duk\u0113i.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 zev handel (@ZevHandel) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZevHandel\/status\/1355053858595106817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4>Borrowed Culture<\/h4>\n<p>In addition to \u201c<span onclick=\"plus(this)\"><i>k\u01cel\u0101\u2019OK<\/i><\/span><span class=\"plusinfo\" onclick=\"minus(this)\">\n(<span class=\"mt\">karaoke<\/span>\n\u5361\u62c9OK)<\/span>\u201d, another Mandarin word which borrowed from Japanese culture, which borrowed from Western culture, is \u201c<span onclick=\"plus(this)\"><i>w\u00e9nhu\u00e0<\/i><\/span><span class=\"plusinfo\" onclick=\"minus(this)\">\n(w\u00e9n\u00b7hu\u00e0\n<span class=\"mt\"><span class=\"lit\">{(with) writing} \u00b7 transformed (system) \u2192<\/span> [culture] | <span class=\"lit\">{(with) writing} \u00b7 transformed \u2192<\/span> [cultural]<\/span>\n\u6587\u5316)<\/span>\u201d, the Mandarin word for culture itself. As the MEotW <a href=\"https:\/\/troubadourworks.com\/tiandi\/meotw\/2021\/01\/11\/wenhua\/\" title=\"w\u00e9nhu\u00e0 - Mandarin Expression of the Week\">post<\/a> about that word says:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\nTo translate the Western concept of culture, the Japanese coined the word <i>bunka<\/i>, which is written \u6587\u5316 (see Liu, Zhengtan et al. 1984, s.v. wenhua). The Chinese imported this character combination from Japan and pronounced it according to the rules of their own language: <i>w\u00e9nhu\u00e0<\/i>.<br \/>\n\u2014<a title=\"PDF file: Two Steps Toward Digraphia in China - Sino-Platonic Papers\" href=\"http:\/\/www.sino-platonic.org\/complete\/spp134_chinese_digraphia.pdf\">\u201cTwo Steps Toward Digraphia in China\u201d, by Xieyan Hincha<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>So, people going on about \u201cpure\u201d Chinese culture are ignorant or in denial about the reality of how other cultures have influenced Chinese culture, and about what a great, enriching thing that can be. Anyone who has been in a group or congregation with people predominantly from a single cultural background, and who has also had the pleasure of being in a group or congregation with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds, has had the opportunity to see how the atmosphere of the latter situation can be a breath of fresh air compared to the relatively narrow\u2014and potentially narrow-minded\u2014cultural worldview that is sometimes allowed to be present in the former situation. Some parts of the world too are starting to realize the advantages of considering various cultural inputs, compared to trying to be productive or creative in a monocultural bubble.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the proud \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Not_invented_here\" title=\"Not invented here - Wikipedia\">not invented here<\/a>\u201d logic of Chinese cultural purists who would, for example, reject <span onclick=\"plus(this)\"><i>P\u012bny\u012bn<\/i><\/span><span class=\"plusinfo\" onclick=\"minus(this)\">\n(P\u012bn\u00b7y\u012bn\n<span class=\"lit\">{Piecing Together} \u00b7 Sounds \u2192<\/span> <span class=\"mt\">[Pinyin]<\/span>\n\u62fc\u97f3)<\/span> because it uses letters from the Latin alphabet would also require us to reject things like <a href=\"https:\/\/troubadourworks.com\/tiandi\/meotw\/2021\/09\/06\/dianliang\/\" title=\"di\u01cenli\u00e0ng - Mandarin Expression of the Week\">European-style punctuation<\/a>, Arabic numerals, and <span onclick=\"plus(this)\"><i>k\u01cel\u0101\u2019OK<\/i><\/span><span class=\"plusinfo\" onclick=\"minus(this)\">\n(<span class=\"mt\">karaoke<\/span>\n\u5361\u62c9OK)<\/span> because of their foreign-to-China origins. But, Chinese culture without <span onclick=\"plus(this)\"><i>k\u01cel\u0101\u2019OK<\/i><\/span><span class=\"plusinfo\" onclick=\"minus(this)\">\n(<span class=\"mt\">karaoke<\/span>\n\u5361\u62c9OK)<\/span>? How dreary! Next, they\u2019ll be wanting us to do long division using Chinese characters\u2014\u5341\u4e00, \u4e5d\u5341\u4e5d, \u4e00\u5343\u516b\u767e\u4e09\u5341\u516d, \u2026\u2014instead of Arabic numbers, and they\u2019ll be wanting us to read and decipher Chinese writings the old-fashioned way, without the \u201ccrutch\u201d of those decadent European punctuation marks! \ud83d\ude31<\/p>\n<p>(Of course, with <span onclick=\"plus(this)\"><i>k\u01cel\u0101\u2019OK<\/i><\/span><span class=\"plusinfo\" onclick=\"minus(this)\">\n(<span class=\"mt\">karaoke<\/span>\n\u5361\u62c9OK)<\/span>, as with anything that may involve worldly culture and music\u2014which can possibly include some bad things along with the good things\u2014Christians must be selective, exercising good spiritual judgement and following their Bible-trained consciences.)<\/p>\n<p>As members of the international brotherhood of Jehovah\u2019s people, and as ones \u201ctaught by Jehovah\u201d himself, we need not be content with, let alone proud of, a particular way of doing things prescribed by human, worldly Chinese cultural tradition.\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/wol.jw.org\/en\/wol\/b\/r1\/lp-e\/nwtsty\/60\/5#v=60:5:9\" title=\"1 Peter 5 \u2014 Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY\">1 Peter 5:9<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/wol.jw.org\/en\/wol\/b\/r1\/lp-e\/nwt\/23\/54#v=23:54:13\" title=\"Isaiah 54 \u2014 Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY\">Isaiah 54:13<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/wol.jw.org\/en\/wol\/b\/r1\/lp-e\/nwtsty\/46\/1#v=46:1:31\" title=\"1 Corinthians 1 \u2014 Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY\">1 Corinthians 1:31<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/wol.jw.org\/en\/wol\/b\/r1\/lp-e\/nwtsty\/62\/2#v=62:2:17\" title=\"1 John 2 \u2014 Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY\">1 John 2:17<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/wol.jw.org\/en\/wol\/b\/r1\/lp-e\/nwtsty\/41\/7#v=41:7:1-41:7:13\" title=\"Mark 7 \u2014 Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY\">Mark 7:1\u201313<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The selection of this week\u2019s MEotW, , was inspired by a Twitter thread of epic linguistic and etymological nerdery that I recently came across, which begins with this tweet: In this thread I\u2019m going to talk about one of my favorite etymologies. The history of this word has got it all: it\u2019s a fascinating tale [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,98,176],"tags":[528,129,25,37,127,131,38,97,130,93,76,29,80,46,132,39,126],"class_list":["post-2103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culture","category-history","category-science","tag-not-invented-here-syndrome","tag-arabic-numerals","tag-chinese-characters","tag-chinese-culture","tag-digraphia","tag-etymology","tag-japanese-culture","tag-linguistics","tag-loanwords","tag-music","tag-orthography","tag-pinyin","tag-punctuation","tag-translation","tag-twitter","tag-western-culture","tag-writing-systems"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>k\u01cel\u0101\u2019OK - Mandarin Expression of the Week<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/troubadourworks.com\/tiandi\/meotw\/2022\/04\/25\/kalaok\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"k\u01cel\u0101\u2019OK - Mandarin Expression of the Week\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The selection of this week\u2019s MEotW, , was inspired by a Twitter thread of epic linguistic and etymological nerdery that I recently came across, which begins with this tweet: In this thread I\u2019m going to talk about one of my favorite etymologies. 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