backatsap 0 Posted June 8, 2002 Share Posted June 8, 2002 I am kinda new to Japan and Japanese, but can anyone tell me why Nihon seems to become Nippon when it comes to sports etc? Is there a time when Japan is Nihon and another time when it is Nippon? Hmmmmm? Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted June 8, 2002 Share Posted June 8, 2002 Reading your question I thought I would answer with my wisdom but, you know, I don't actually know what the rules are for the usage of nihon and nippon! Anybody? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 8, 2002 Share Posted June 8, 2002 Sticking my neck out a bit here... Nihon is the more feminine, less agressive, less formal version. Nippon is the opposite. People who are proud of their country in general or proud of their country at that particular time will tend to harden the middle consonant. Television announcers will general use Nippon, probably as a result of broadcasting standards. Link to post Share on other sites
7-11 2 Posted June 8, 2002 Share Posted June 8, 2002 That's kind of what I thought it might be as well. Ni------Pon seems to be the frenzied version. Is it just in sports and such that they use nippon. It would be interesting to know for sure. A question for the nihonjin friends. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 When they want to sound "strong". Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 24, 2002 Share Posted June 24, 2002 The Asahi Shinbun had a column on just this issue yesterday. Apparently this question is of some interest to Japanese people too. In 1934, the government introduced a law to change the ancient name of Nihon to the more aggressive-sounding Nippon, in accordance with their aggressive policies towards neighbouring nations. So use of one or the other would seem to be a political choice, a matter of which many people, even foreigners, are more or less dimly aware. Why broadcasters generally use 'Nippon' is an interesting question... Link to post Share on other sites
xxx 2 Posted June 24, 2002 Share Posted June 24, 2002 Interesting, do you have a link on that one Ocean11? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 24, 2002 Share Posted June 24, 2002 'Fraid not. It was in the paper version. I'll have a look again for the author of the report. Link to post Share on other sites
HoTRoD 2 Posted June 24, 2002 Share Posted June 24, 2002 Nippon always seems to be the way they revert to in competitions, patriotic feelings etc. It would be interesting to read that article. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 24, 2002 Share Posted June 24, 2002 i think we should anonymously author a bill that says that nihon and nippon should follow rules that are analogous to the ones used for minutes (i.e. i-pun, ni-fun, etc.). So in the world cup, if japan's scored one goal, we call it nippon. If they score two, it goes to nihon. And then for three...Of course we throw in some other silly rules like on national holidays they only use Nippon and always use nihon when discussing the weather. Writing the bill would employ at least one more person. Enforcing it would add a job at each major radio/tv station, etc....think about the jobs! in no time the economy will be back!!! Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted June 24, 2002 Share Posted June 24, 2002 Great answer Mr Troll Anybody know why the British national anthem is used for England but not (as far as I can remember) for the other home nations who have their own tunes? Isn't there an England song we can use? Can't we have a jollier tune? Link to post Share on other sites
Brain 0 Posted June 30, 2002 Share Posted June 30, 2002 At least its jollier than the Japanese tune. Link to post Share on other sites
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