In older Japanese texts, Madagascar was written as 「馬達加斯加」, a form known as ateji. This writing does not represent meaning but transcribes sound using kanji characters. Understanding why Japan once used such characters reveals how the Japanese language adapted to foreign influences during history.
The Origin of the Kanji Writing 「馬達加斯加」
The writing 「馬達加斯加」 comes from a practice common in Japan during the Edo and Meiji periods. At that time, when recording foreign names in Japanese, katakana was not yet widely used as the standard for foreign words. Since most written works were composed primarily of kanji, it was considered more natural to represent foreign names with kanji as well.
Madagascar can be divided into the sounds “Ma-Da-Gas-Kar.” Each sound was matched with kanji that carried similar phonetics. The following table shows how this mapping worked:
| Sound | Kanji | Reason chosen |
|---|---|---|
| Ma | 馬 | Taken from the reading of 馬 (uma), which contains the sound “ma” |
| Da | 達 | Can be read as “tatsu” or “datsu,” approximating “da” |
| Gas | 加斯 | Combination of 加 and 斯 to reproduce “gas” |
| Kar | 加 | The “ka” sound from 加 was used to represent part of “kar” |
Thus, 「馬達加斯加」 was not meant to convey meaning but was purely a phonetic adaptation into Japanese characters.
Why Ateji (Phonetic Kanji) Were Used
There are several reasons why foreign names were written this way. First, katakana had not yet become the standard writing system for foreign words. Although katakana existed, a text written entirely in katakana was often considered less formal or scholarly.
Kanji, on the other hand, had visual stability and authority. Incorporating kanji into texts made them appear consistent and academic. As a result, even foreign place names and personal names were represented with phonetic kanji, especially in diplomatic documents or geography books.
Here are some examples of other countries that were once written in ateji:
| Country | Ateji | Modern Writing |
|---|---|---|
| America | 亜米利加 | アメリカ |
| England | 英吉利 | イギリス |
| France | 仏蘭西 | フランス |
| Germany | 独逸 | ドイツ |
| Portugal | 葡萄牙 | ポルトガル |
| Holland | 和蘭 | オランダ |
These examples show that ateji was a creative attempt to represent foreign sounds with Japanese characters, even if the result was not phonetically perfect.
The Problem of Mixing Meaning with Sound
While ateji was convenient, it had a drawback: readers could easily confuse the meaning of the kanji with the intended sound. For example, someone seeing 「馬達加斯加」 might associate it with “horse” (馬) or “to reach” (達), even though these meanings have nothing to do with Madagascar.
To clarify, let’s compare ateji with katakana:
| Feature | Ateji | Katakana |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Chosen for sound, not meaning | Represents sounds directly |
| Meaning | May mislead readers | No meaning attached |
| Readability | Sometimes confusing | Easy to understand |
| Role in history | Helped maintain kanji-based text culture | Became the modern standard for foreign words |
This shows why ateji gradually gave way to katakana, which avoids confusion and better preserves pronunciation.
The Shift to Katakana
During the Meiji period, Japan’s education system was reformed. With modern schooling came the widespread use of katakana for foreign words. Katakana was ideal because it has no inherent meaning and directly represents sounds.
For instance, when written as 「馬達加斯加」, readers might pause to interpret the kanji. But “マダガスカル” in katakana is immediately recognizable as a foreign name. This clarity and efficiency led to the decline of ateji in favor of katakana.
Ateji as a Reflection of Japanese Language Culture
Ateji is not just a linguistic curiosity. It is evidence of how the Japanese language absorbed foreign culture. By adapting foreign names into kanji, Japanese people integrated new concepts into their own writing system. This was especially important during the period when Japan began to open itself to the world.
Learning about 「馬達加斯加」 helps us understand not only language but also cultural history. It shows the intellectual effort of adapting the unfamiliar into familiar forms, and it highlights how Japan engaged with the wider world during a time of transformation.
Conclusion
Writing Madagascar as 「馬達加斯加」 was a way to phonetically adapt the name into Japanese using kanji. The characters were chosen purely for their sounds, not for their meanings. Today, katakana is the standard, but understanding ateji gives us insight into Japanese linguistic history and Japan’s interactions with the world.
For foreigners, this knowledge reveals a deeper layer of Japanese writing. What looks like a strange combination of characters is, in fact, a record of creativity and adaptation, showing how Japanese people once tried to make the unfamiliar familiar.
