3276
Sometimes, a single foreign word or etymologically related words from
different dialects/related languages is/are incorporated into Japanese with
different transcriptions/pronouncations and often different meanings. The most
obvious and systematic ones are the different on-yomi's assigned to a single
kanji, which came from different ancient dialects of Chinese.

> 明 (みん, めい, みょう)

Besides kanji, there are some with gairaigo:

> ガラス < glas (Dutch) 'glass, glass window'  
>  グラス < glass (English) 'glass cup'
>
> コップ < kop (Dutch) 'cup'  
>  カップ < cup (English) 'trophy cup'

Are there any other examples of gairaigo groups like this?

I would like to exclude those that are due to 平板化 (deaccentation) such as the
following:

> クラブ (KUrabu) < club (English) 'club activities before/after school'  
>  クラブ (kuRABU) < id. 'host(ess) club'
>
> ゲーム (GEemu) < game (English) 'game'  
>  ゲーム (geEMU) < id. 'video game'
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-09-24T20:03:47.193
3275
2012-06-09T12:17:33.057
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
question
synonyms loanwords
Different transcriptions for words with related origin
Here are a few:

  * truck → トロッコ (on rails), トラック (lorry)
  * English → イギリス (via Portuguese "Inglez"), イングリッシュ
  * letter → レッテル ("label", via Dutch), レター (letter, e.g. love letter)
  * gear → ギヤ (gear, mechanical), ギア (gear = equipment [and less often, mechanical gear])
  * chocolat(e) → ショコラ (via French), チョコレート (via English)
  * curry → カレー, カリー
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-09-24T20:33:51.757
3276
2011-09-24T20:33:51.757
531
3275
answer
I was recently told about a word with three different transcriptions with
three different usages, which I cannot help sharing!

>
> [かるた](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E3%81%8B%E3%82%8B%E3%81%9F&stype=1&dtype=0&dname=0na)
> (usually a specific kind of playing cards) < carta (Portuguese)  
>
> [カルテ](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E3%82%AB%E3%83%AB%E3%83%86&stype=1&dtype=0&dname=0na)
> (a medical record) < Karte (German)  
>
> [カード](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E3%82%AB%E3%83%BC%E3%83%89&stype=1&dtype=0&dname=0na)
> (a card; a rectangular sheet, usually of paper) < card (English)
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-09T20:39:57.380
3419
2011-10-09T20:39:57.380
15
3275
answer
ビール Beer (English?)  
ビアガーデン Beer garden (English _via_ German)
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-10T04:23:59.000
3421
2011-10-10T04:23:59.000
356
3275
answer
Buffet, which is usually バイキング (baikingu = viking), is sometimes represented
as ビュッフェ (usually in on-train buffets) or as バフェ (in Okinawa only, which has a
large US military presence), according to [Katakana Mysteries: 6 loan words
Japan got wrong](http://nihonshock.com/2009/09/katakana-mysteries-6-loan-
words-japan-got-wrong/).

Wiktionary gives キャラメル and カラメル for
[caramel](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/caramel).
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-27T11:00:58.930
4095
2012-06-09T12:17:33.057
2012-06-09T12:17:33.057
91
91
3275
answer
Yay! Fun question (and I'm like half a year late)! I thought of a couple

> ゴム rubber, from Dutch gom  
>  ガム chewing gum, from English gum
>
> ストライク strike as in baseball  
>  ストライキ strike as in workers refusing to work
>
> アイアン iron as in golf  
>  アイロン iron as in ironing shirts
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-03-08T02:28:25.490
4951
2012-03-08T02:28:25.490
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
1073
3275
answer
dainichi's answer アイアン and アイロン reminded me of this:

> マシン 'machine' as in マシン語 'machine language' < machine (English)  
>  ミシン 'sewing machine' < machine (English)
>
> メリケン 'American' as in メリケン粉 'flour' < American (English)  
>  アメリカン 'American' < American (English)
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-03-08T02:33:04.487
4953
2012-03-08T02:33:04.487
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
3275
answer