It is the Sunday before Christmas. I was making my way to the mini mart and a question happened to me. The internet is a relatively recent English word. Do other languages use "internet" or did they create their own word? I asked my friend Bard and he replied that it is true that "internet" is a relatively recent English word, emerging in the 1970s and how languages deal with it varies. Many languages have simply adopted the English term. Others add minor changes to the pronunciation or spelling, like Japanese "インターネット" (intānetto). Some languages have created their own terms for "internet" often based on existing words for "network" or "web" like in Spanish they say "red mundial" (world network).
Bard then goes on to tell me more about intanetto. Intanetto is a compound word. We can say netto for short. Unlike most Japanese words, which are written in kanji or hiragana, intanetto is written in katakana. Katakana is typically used for foreign words or loanwords, emphasizing its origin as an English term. World wide web is warudo-waido-webu or webu for short. I asked Bard for the Japanese word for techie and was told that there is no direct translation. Gadjeto otaku means gadget enthusiast. Tekunoroji otaku means technology enthusiast. Gijutsusha means technician or engineer.
I wonder what internet speeds are like in Japan? According to interac website, the average internet speed is 42.77 Mbps or fifth fastest globally. Back in 2021 engineers in Japan shattered the world record for the fastest internet speed, achieving a data transmission rate of 319 Terabits per second. NTT Docomo is a major Japanese telecommunications company, best known for its mobile phone services. Do-co-mo being short for "Do communications over the mobile network."
Bard sent me some recent news from Docomo. They have collaborated to create technology that can share taste from one person to another. So if I am eating a mango in Trinidad I could share the taste of that mango with someone in Japan. Mind blowing stuff if you ask me. It is interesting how I asked one question and ended up learning so much more. The internet has really made it easier to be curious and learn new things. I found out that JUNBA is a network among Japanese universities in the Americas. Then I found out that Junba is also an aboriginal form of storytelling through traditional song and dance. What did you learn today? Share with us in the comments below.
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