The term “南阿弗利加” for South Africa is rarely seen today, but from the Meiji era to the early Showa period, it was a formal and widely accepted way of writing the name. Rooted in the phonetic transcription practices unique to the kanji cultural sphere, it reflects how Japanese incorporated foreign place names. This article explores its origin, meaning, and why it has fallen out of use in modern Japanese.
The Origin of “南阿弗利加”
“南阿弗利加” is an example of phonetic transcription from Chinese.
The first character 南 means “south” in direction, while 阿弗利加 represents the sound of the word “Africa.”
In the Meiji era, Japan commonly wrote foreign place names and country names in kanji. At that time, the habit of writing foreign words in katakana had not yet become standard, and many place names came through Chinese books and newspapers — often adopted directly into Japanese.
- 阿 (ā) was used to represent the vowel sound “A”
- 弗 (fú) represented the “Fu” sound
- 利 (lì) represented the “Ri” sound
- 加 (jiā) represented the “Ka” sound
Thus, 阿弗利加 closely approximates the pronunciation of “Africa.”
Table 1 – Kanji and Sound Correspondence
| Kanji | Chinese Pronunciation | Japanese Phonetic Use | Corresponding Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| 阿 | ā | A | A |
| 弗 | fú | Fu | Fu |
| 利 | lì | Ri | Ri |
| 加 | jiā | Ka | Ka |
Characteristics of Place Name Writing in the Meiji Era
From the Meiji to the Taisho era, Japan rapidly absorbed Western geography and culture. Foreign place names were generally expressed in three ways:
- Kanji phonetic transcription (often via Chinese)
e.g., 南阿弗利加 (South Africa), 亜米利加 (America), 英吉利 (England) - Kanji semantic translation
e.g., 日没国 (“country where the sun sets” for Spain) - Katakana transcription
e.g., アメリカ, イギリス, アフリカ
Because newspapers and books favored kanji writing, the form “南阿弗利加” was used widely.
Table 2 – Examples of Meiji-Era Foreign Place Name Writing
| Modern Country Name | Meiji-Era Kanji | Modern Katakana |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| South Africa | 南阿弗利加 | 南アフリカ |
Why It Is No Longer Used
From the Showa period onward, katakana became the standard for writing foreign words in Japanese. Postwar educational reforms and the unification of newspaper terminology discouraged heavy use of kanji transcriptions.
Advantages of katakana include:
- Closer to the original pronunciation of foreign words
- Avoids misinterpretation caused by kanji meanings
- Easier for learners and non-native speakers to understand
As a result, “南阿弗利加” is now mostly found in historical or decorative contexts, while in everyday writing, “南アフリカ” is used almost exclusively.
Table 3 – Comparison of Modern Usage
| Form | Frequency of Use | Typical Contexts |
|---|---|---|
| 南阿弗利加 | Very low | Historical books, old documents, certain tourism materials |
| 南アフリカ | High | Newspapers, news broadcasts, general writing |
| アフリカ | High | Referring to the continent as a whole, casual conversation |
Conclusion
The expression “南阿弗利加” is not simply an old-fashioned spelling. It is the result of Chinese-derived phonetic transcription combined with Japan’s historical writing practices.
- 阿弗利加 is the phonetic rendering of “Africa”
- In the Meiji era, kanji writing was the norm and appeared in newspapers and maps
- Today, katakana is standardized, and the term appears only in historical contexts
Understanding this background allows readers to better interpret old documents and historical records.
