English plural on Japanese terms

**Res Judicata** · Posted On: 4/17/2011 10:01pm

Originally Posted by Gezere

They seriously call you "James-sama"? They must really like you.
SAMA is usually used for someone in a higher social position and even then sparingly. Its also used by business owners to their good customers (okyakusama). It can also be used for someone you like a lot which is probably why they do it.

Yeah, that's unusual - it's a very serious honor. Something like James-kun (jeimizu-kun, jeimu-kun?) would be more typical. Sama is sometimes used sarcastically (ore-sama) but that's not what this sounds like.

**Gezere** · Posted On: 4/17/2011 10:51pm

I use oresama, bokusama, and even watakushisama often. However I'm a jackass so that's perfectly fine.

**Res Judicata** · Posted On: 4/18/2011 7:23am

That's funny as Hell. I'm not even sure there's a way to express the same concept in English. Ore and Boku are casual male ways of saying I/me. Watakushi is a very formal way of saying the same thing. (Watashi is more neutral).

Read straight, watakushisama is something a raving egomanic/narcissist would say-thing Glideroy Lockhard from Harry Potter. I've heard of oresama sarcastically, but watakushisama takes it to another level.

**Coach Josh** · Posted On: 4/18/2011 8:59am

hmph my in-laws call me mayuge well my sister in law anyway

**Vieux Normand** · Posted On: 4/18/2011 10:13am

Not to forget, the Japanese do like their biting sarcasm.

"Kissama" used to be an honourific addressed to upper-rank samurai.

After the abolition of the samurai class, "Kissama" became an insult, far worse than "Omae".

**Res Judicata** · Posted On: 4/18/2011 12:24pm

Originally Posted by Coach Josh

hmph my in-laws call me mayuge well my sister in law anyway

I got "reizouko" and "kuma-chan." Japanese women can be very playful with nicknames.

**DARPAChief** · Posted On: 4/18/2011 3:43pm

Originally Posted by NeilG

For those confused, that means the Chinese and Japanese pronunciations of the same character. For example, the character 道 which we are familiar with from judo, kendo etc would be pronounced "dao" in Mandarin. The Japanese modify that and say "do", but the same kanji can be read as "michi" depending on the situation. Just by itself with the literal meaning of "road" it would probably be read "michi", but in the sense of a path for your life they use the Chinese pronunciation.

A better example would be "道" in Cantonese (Yale: douh), which is closer to Middle Chinese, which is what people spoke during the Tang Dynasty when this language was being introduced to Japan. Mandarin today is the byproduct of centuries of cultural exchange with the nomadic peoples in the northern steppe region, e.g. Xiongnu, Mongols. That's why people from Beijing sound like barbaria-er like they ought to be staffing pirate ships.

**Vorpal** · Posted On: 4/19/2011 7:42am

Originally Posted by Gezere

They seriously call you "James-sama"? They must really like you.
SAMA is usually used for someone in a higher social position and even then sparingly. Its also used by business owners to their good customers (okyakusama). It can also be used for someone you like a lot which is probably why they do it.

Yeah, I don't think they all feel that way, just my wife's great uncle. But he's the head guy there now so there you go.