# Meaning of "Maru"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-maru/80413>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 8, 2001, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-maru/80413 "2001-09-08T17:44:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-maru/80413/1 "2001-09-08T17:44:34Z")

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There is the infamous Kobayashi(sp?) Maru from STII.  
There is the ship that recently got hit by a submarine.  
There is the something Maru in “Andromeda”.

What does “maru” mean? I found out that the word ‘Maru’ has been used in ship names in Japan since 1493.

Does it mean “ship” or “boat” or anything?

thanks

Brian

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**Author:** ![headshok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@headshok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/headshok)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-maru/80413/2 "2001-09-08T18:03:45Z")

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“Maru” generally means “circle” or “round”, but can be used to mean other things like money or purity, depending on the context. I think that the Japanese version of the period at the end of a sentence is called a maru. I don’t know what the word has to do with ships, though. Someone will probably be along to explain shortly.

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**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-maru/80413/3 "2001-09-08T18:12:40Z")

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[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=33561](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=33561)

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**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-maru/80413/4 "2001-09-08T22:17:57Z")

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I looked elsewhere, but did I search this board? Nooo!

bad N9IWP, bad!  
Brian

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**Author:** ![arara123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/41988e/32.png) [@arara123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arara123)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2001, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-maru/80413/5 "2001-09-09T00:23:16Z")

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In a business strategy class I took a few years ago we read a case involing Komatsu (makers of heavy construction equipment).

Komatsu’s strategy, as the company’s management stated it was “Maru Cat” - or surround/encircle Catepillar, their chief rival.

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**Author:** ![Hoops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoops/32/6408_2.png) [@Hoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoops)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-maru/80413/6 "2001-09-09T02:20:16Z")

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Maru is also used to connote something generic–it actually makes sense if you look at the pictogram. So for example, yama can mean ‘place’; Maruyama, literally ‘circle-place,’ could be used as a generic place name, similar to the way we use the word ‘Anytown’ in English.

## Look for this usage especially in manga, where you may see generic banks or stores in the background.

The unexploded tortilla is not worth eating.