# Doesn't Japanese have words for "jumping spider"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2010, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doesnt-japanese-have-words-for-jumping-spider/550610 "2010-08-18T11:55:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doesnt-japanese-have-words-for-jumping-spider/550610/1 "2010-08-18T11:55:46Z")
I’m a [Ninja Warrior (Sasuke)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja_Warrior) fan. I even like listening to the announcer speaking Japanese, and I try to pick out words that I recognize. On a lot of the obstacles, the announcer says the name of the obstacle in English. Some examples are “jumping spider,” “jump hang,” and “cliff hanger.” Why would the announcer say these in English? The show, at least in the early days, was never intended for an American audience, and he doesn’t say anything else in English. Surely Japanese has words for “jump” and “cliff,” doesn’t it? What’s the deal? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doesnt-japanese-have-words-for-jumping-spider/550610/2 "2010-08-18T12:11:36Z")
Japanese borrows a lot of words from English, even if there might be a perfectly good Japanese word available. ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doesnt-japanese-have-words-for-jumping-spider/550610/3 "2010-08-18T15:05:19Z")
“Would you like to see that movie tomorrow? It’s in the afternoon. We could then head over to Steve’s dinner party. I’m bringing an appetizer. You think Steve’s a doofus, don’t you? On the contrary, he’s really quite nice. Well, what can you do?” “Would you like to see that movie tomorrow? It’s a matinee. We could then head over to Steve’s soiree. I’m bringing hors d’œuvre[s]. You think Steve’s a doofus, don’t you. Au contraire, he’s really quite nice. Well, c’est la vie!” I chose French in my example because European influences are greater in the U.S. than are Japanese influences, but the point stands. In some cases, a foreign word adds a different flavor (conveying meaning); in others, it’s just that that synonym happens to be winning. You might be surprised by how many French words you hear and say without thinking twice about it: [French words in English](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French_words_and_phrases_used_by_English_speakers). ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doesnt-japanese-have-words-for-jumping-spider/550610/4 "2010-08-18T15:33:07Z")
From what I can tell, Japanese shows like to use English names to hype stuff up. An English equivalent, as best I can figure, is instead of calling a flaming hoop in a circus a flaming hoop, it’s The Fiery Circle Of Certain Death! The Sasuke obstacle isn’t the \ (not even gonna try to guess a translation), but The Jumping Spider! Instead of a descriptor, it becomes a name. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doesnt-japanese-have-words-for-jumping-spider/550610/5 "2010-08-18T15:36:03Z")
Yes, there is a Japanese name for arachnids of the family _Salticidae_ - it’s _hae-tori gumo_. But the Japanese name doesn’t _mean_ “jumping spider.” In fact, it directly translates as “fly-catching spider”, which really doesn’t have the same effect. (It’s also not a very common word - I had to look it up.) ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doesnt-japanese-have-words-for-jumping-spider/550610/6 "2010-08-18T15:41:21Z")
> [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](#): > > I’m a [Ninja Warrior (Sasuke)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja_Warrior) fan. I even like listening to the announcer speaking Japanese, and I try to pick out words that I recognize. On a lot of the obstacles, the announcer says the name of the obstacle in English. Some examples are “jumping spider,” “jump hang,” and “cliff hanger.” > > Why would the announcer say these in English? The show, at least in the early days, was never intended for an American audience, and he doesn’t say anything else in English. Surely Japanese has words for “jump” and “cliff,” doesn’t it? What’s the deal? There are a lot more borrowed words on that show. Listen for “first stage complete,” (“fasuto suteji conpuretu”)and variations on “clear” like kuriaa, kuriaashimashita (past-tense). I think **Pasta** and **Bosstone** have it: English loanwords provide some marketing style, just like French/Italian/Spanish/German words do for things being marketed in the US.