The word for a medical "mask" is borrowed from the English language. Does this
infer that these types of masks did not exist in Japan before the arrival of
the English? If these masks did exist in Japan in times of old, what was the
native Japanese word for such a mask?
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question
loanwords
Did the medical mask exist in Japan before the arrival of the English?
According to this article linked below, masks were introduced to Japan in the
beginning of the Meiji period (1869) with coal miners to avoid inhaling
harmful particles. At that time they were called 呼吸器(こきゅうき), essentially
respirator. However they were not widespread until the Spanish Flu in 1918. In
this picture you can see and advertisement for masks warning that not wearing
a mask is reckless (not much has changed). According to this picture it seems
that modern masks came along with their loaner word.

[![Spanish Flu Mask
Poster](https://i.stack.imgur.com/S77lp.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/S77lp.jpg)

There are of course more words for mask in Japanese. The most common probably
being 仮面, which is usually in the case of masks used for disguise or to alter
ones appearance.

<https://weathernews.jp/s/topics/202004/160185/>

<https://www.goodcross.com/diary/21084-2020>
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answer