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Japanese Loanwords from Latin
Explore Japanese loanwords marked as coming from Latin, with meanings and source notes where available.
This page gathers gairaigo with a source trace from Latin. That trace may appear in the sound of the word, its katakana form, or the origin notes shown on the entry.
Treat the source language as a helpful guide, not the whole history of the word. Some words have more than one path into Japanese, some were shortened, and some changed meaning after entering Japanese.
255 entries
Showing 1-48 of 255 entries // Page 1 of 6
アウストラロピテクス
ausutoraropitekusu
An extinct genus of early hominins from Africa.
アドホック
ado hokku
Done or created for a specific case, often temporarily.
アドリブ
adoribu
Done spontaneously, without preparation.
アニマ
anima
The inner soul or life principle, especially in Jungian or philosophical usage.
アヌス
anusu
Anus.
アプリオリ
a puriori
Known or reasoned independently of experience.
アポステリオリ
a posuteriori
Known or justified from experience or observation.
イエス
iesu
The central figure of Christianity.
ウイルス
uirusu
A virus; a microscopic infectious agent.
エゴ
ego
Ego; also egoism or an egoist.
ｅｔｃ．
eto setora
An abbreviation meaning that similar items continue.
オラショ
orasho
An archaic word for a prayer or supplication.
カトレヤ
katoreya
A type of orchid, especially the cattleya orchid.
カメリア
kameria
A camellia flower or camellia plant.
ガーベラ
gaabera
A flowering plant with large, colorful daisy-like blossoms.
ガリア
garia
The ancient region corresponding roughly to modern France and nearby areas.
クロレラ
kurorera
A genus of green algae.
グランス
guransu
The glans, especially the glans penis.
グロリア
guroria
The female given name Gloria.
コギトエルゴスム
kogito erugo sumu
A Latin phrase meaning
シクラメン
shikuramen
A flowering plant of the genus Cyclamen, especially Cyclamen persicum.
ステゴサウルス
sutegosaurusu
A genus of armored dinosaur.
ステゴドン
sutegodon
A genus of extinct proboscideans.
スピロヘータ
supiroheeta
A spirochaete, especially Treponema pallidum.
ティラピア
tirapia
A freshwater fish often farmed and eaten as food.
デウス
deusu
The Latin word for God, used in religious and historical contexts.
トリコモナス
torikomonasu
A genus of anaerobic protozoans, some of which are human parasites.
ニヒル
nihiru
Having a cool, detached, or nihilistic attitude.
ヴァギナ
vagina
The muscular tube leading from the external genitals to the cervix.
パピルス
papirusu
Ancient writing material made from the pith of a water plant.
パレスチナ
paresuchina
A geographic region in the Middle East.
フェニックス
fenikkusu
A mythological bird that rises from its ashes, or a genus of palm trees.
フォッサマグナ
fossa maguna
The Great Rift Valley of Japan.
プラタナス
puratanasu
Any of several large deciduous trees of the genus Platanus.
ヘルニア
herunia
The protrusion of an organ or tissue through an abnormal opening in the body.
ヘルベチア
herubechia
The Latin and historical name for Switzerland.
ペチュニア
pechunia
A popular garden plant with colorful funnel-shaped flowers.
ペニス
penisu
The male reproductive organ.
ホモエコノミクス
homo ekonomikusu
The concept of humans as rational and self-interested agents.
ホモエレクトス
homo erekutosu
An extinct species of archaic human from the Pleistocene.
ホモサピエンス
homo sapiensu
The species of all modern human beings.
ホモハビリス
homo habirisu
Extinct species of archaic human from the Early Pleistocene of East and South Africa.
ホモルーデンス
homo ruudensu
Philosophical concept of the human being as a creature that plays.
ミサ
misa
The Catholic Mass, the main liturgical service in the Roman Catholic tradition.
メタセコイア
metasekoia
A species of deciduous conifer known as dawn redwood.
ユーカリ
yuukari
Abbreviated form of eucalyptus.
ユダヤ
yudaya
A historical region in southern Palestine, and the Jewish people.
リビドー
ribidoo
The energy of the sexual drive as a component of the human psyche.