15591
So we all know that most (all?) countries' names can be written in kanji as
well as kana. And occasionally kanji from these names are used to represent
the language of those countries. For example, we can see 「独逸」の「独」 here:

> 「ドイツ統一の中心人物であり、「鉄血宰相（独: Eiserner Kanzler）」の異名を取る。」

**How is 独 read in this context?** Is there a consistent rule that applies to
all similar instances (米, 伊, 英, etc.)?
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2014-04-25T17:47:33.223
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2016-07-14T07:01:28.820
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question
kanji readings names
How to read single stand-alone language-name kanji?
Generally speaking these are read using the 音読み, and most frequently occur in
pairs (e.g. 日米【にちべい】, 日独【にちどく】).

I actually did some trolling through EDICT and a couple other sources to
create a master list of these, and came up with the following list:

```

    豪   ごう  Australia
    爾   る   Argentina
    墺   おう  Austria
    白   ぱく  Belgium
    戊   ぼ   Bolivia
    伯   ぱく  Brazil
    勃   ぼつ  Bulgaria
    加   か   Canada
    智   ち   Chile
    中   ちゅう China
    華   か   China
    漢   かん  China
    哥   こ   Colombia
    玖   きゅう Cuba
    捷   しょう Czech Republic
    丁   てい  Denmark
    埃   あい  Egypt
    英   えい  England
    洋   よう  Europe
    芬   ふん  Finland
    仏   ふつ  France
    独   どく  Germany
    銀   ぎん  Guinea
    希   き   Greece
    蘭   らん  Holland
    洪   こう  Hungary
    氷   ひょう Iceland
    印   いん  India
    尼   に   Indonesia
    愛   あい  Ireland
    イ   い   Israel
    伊   い   Italy
    日   にち  Japan
    和   わ   Japan
    約   やく  Jordan
    良   ら   Latvia
    馬   ま   Malaysia
    満   まん  Manchuria
    墨   ぼく  Mexico
    蒙   もう  Mongolia
    緬   めん  Myanmar
    乳   にゅう New Zealand
    児   に   Nicaragua
    朝   ちょう North Korea
    諾   だく  Norway
    帛   はく  Palau
    巴   ぱ   Panama
    秘   ひ   Peru
    比   ひ   Philippines
    波   ぽ   Poland
    葡   ぽ   Portugal
    普   ふ   Prussia
    羅   ら   Romania
    露   ろ   Russia
    新   しん  Singapore
    南阿  なんあ South Africa
    韓   かん  South Korea
    蘇   そ   Soviet Union
    西   せい  Spain
    瑞   すい  Sweden
    瑞   すい  Switzerland
    叙   じょ  Syria
    台   たい  Taiwan
    泰   たい  Thailand
    突   とつ  Tunisia
    土   と   Turkey
    烏   う   Ukraine
    宇   う   Ukraine
    米   べい  USA
    瓦   が   Vanuatu
    委   い   Venezuela
    越   えつ  Vietnam
    
```

Some notes on the above:

  * It's not an oversight that Sweden and Switzerland have the same character; that's how they're listed in the dictionary.
  * Japan and China each have several variations. Generally speaking it's hard to go wrong defaulting to 日中【にっちゅう】 when talking about international relations. Beyond that it's probably best left to a native to clarify the nuances of each.
  * Hungary also has two characters; of these my impression based on research is that 洪【こう】 is the preferred one in Japanese.

Also, if you're looking for continents, you've got the following:

```

    阿   あ           Africa
    南極  なんきょく       Antarctica
    亜   あ           Asia
    欧   おう          Europe
    北米  ほくべい        North America
    南米  なんべい        South America
```
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2014-04-26T08:14:25.640
2014-04-26T08:14:25.640
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answer
If I read aloud this sentence, I omit the parenthesis part or convert it to
more understandable expression like

> 鉄血宰相、ドイツ語ではEiserner Kanzler、の異名を取る

The most common use of those single-kanji country names is the
pairs/combinations of countries such as [日米]{にちべい}, [米中]{べいちゅう}, [日韓]{にっかん},
[日中韓]{にっちゅうかん}, and some language names such as [英語]{えいご}, [仏語]{ふつご},
[独語]{どくご}. But ふつご and どくご are rarely heard although they are written in the
dictionary. ふらんすご and どいつご are more used definitely. I think it's because
people tend to use easier expression for hearing.

In writing, especially when one wants to reduce the number of characters (eg.
Twitter and newspapers), single-kanji country names are often used. However,
when speaking, except for words which are frequently heard such as [日米]{にちべい}
and [米軍]{べいぐん}, single-kanji country names are mostly converted to original
names (eg. [米政府]{あめりかせいふ}, [仏大統領]{ふらんすだいとうりょう}, not [米政府]{べいせいふ} nor
[仏大統領]{ふつだいとうりょう}).

This may be a characteristic habit among people using ideogram characters.
Some characters are really useful for abbreviation, but reading them
straightforward is not appropriate to convey the idea in oral communications.
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2016-07-12T04:38:08.797
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answer
A tricky issue with many implications! As a single character, it should just
be read _doku_. But it is regarded as the abbreviation of 独逸語 _doitsugo_ or
shorter 独語 _dokugo_ which Japanese and also Koreans (under Japanese rule) have
chosen to refer to the German language in the 19th century. Most Japanese
natives would read it _doitsugo_ or _dokugo_. As the single kanji can refer to
the people, their country, and their language, in this case you have to add 語
_go: language_ in your mind. 独逸 usually should be read _doku-itsu_ , not
_doitsu_ as the character 独 _doku_ usually never has the reading _do_. Drawing
on the Dutch _duits_ for _deutsch_ (German) it could easily be written with
phonetic katakana. In this case, however, political intention overturned and
twisted the established On-reading _doku_ , i.e., there is no consistent rule
applying to similar instances.

There is even more below the surface of this issue. Why was the reading
twisted and the character 独 with a _beast classifier_ chosen and not a
harmless character like 都 _to_ or 度, 土, 戸 which are all read _do_ in Japan? To
really understand the political intention and East Asian country naming policy
one often has to go beyond rote vocabulary memorization and have a look at the
rarely explained ideology behind. The country naming policy of Japan and other
East Asian countries is originally based on the Chinese/East Asian 華夷思想 _Huáyí
Sīxiăng (J. Kai Shisô):Thought that the own culture is superior and contempt
of others regarded as_ 夷 _retarded Uncivilized or ‘animals’ (and vermin) below
human beings_ (also 中華思想 _Zhōnghuá Sīxiăng (J. Chûka Shisô): Superior Land In
The Middle Ideology_ ). If you’re in Japan, best look up these terms in
encyclopedias of your local or university library. East Asians, intellectuals
or other, however, usually are silent and do not openly inform about this
state policy. With the Japanese and Korean choice of 独, this kind of naming
today continues only with the naming of the _Germans_ , their country, and
their language. Certainly, diplomats of the German-speaking countries should
work towards a decent naming. The 犭 _beast classifier_ is traditionally used
to name inimical peoples or countries one wants to put down as outsiders.

Take e.g. the name character for the Mongols up into Japan’s Edo period. As in
濛犭虎 _Môko: Mongol(s)_ , the 犭 _beast classifier_ was added to the character 虎
_ko: Tiger_ for further ‘beastification’ of their whole people. This
ideological addendum here has no influence on the pronunciation. Compare e.g.
this use in the ukiyoe series _Kôso Goichidai Ryakuzu_ (1831) of Utagawa
Kuniyoshi) as retaliation for their attacks on Japan in the thirteenth
century. While in this case the _beast classifier_ can be removed without
change of pronunciation, in the choice of 猶 _Yû: trick, scheme_ for the _Jews_
in East Asia and Japan dropped all of a sudden after WWII it cannot. Here
again it also is not just the otherwise often relatively harmless pride for
the culture of one’s own realm, but the deliberate despite of others as beasts
and treatment as outsiders. Understanding this is a matter of study of East
Asian thought and history. Note that all these examples were established
before the world wars. This is not sheer coincidence: The usage of the 犭
_beast classifier_ started during China’s Warring States period 2500 years ago
and therefore naturally breathes and sows aggression. I.e. in this case as as
in others you cannot separate the pronunciation and ideology of Chinese
characters! I hope that after full two years the question is now answered to
your satisfaction.
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answer