# What does ''Datsun'' mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557 "2002-12-13T18:17:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/1 "2002-12-13T18:17:20Z")
Someone related the joke about how this name was derived, thinking that it was true. I said I think it was just a joke, but then I was asked “Well, what does it mean?” I’m not a Japanese linguist, so does it translate to anything meaningful? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/2 "2002-12-13T18:31:23Z")
> [@](#): > > [http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Pit/3823/lila.html](http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Pit/3823/lila.html) > DAT 41 1916 > DAT was formed in 1912 by Mr.s > Den, Aoyama and Takeuchi, who named their creation after their initials. they were built by the Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works, which changed it’s name in 1925 to DAT Automobile Works Ltd. The DAT 41 had a 2300cc 20hp 4cyl engine. > > DAT TRUCK 1920 > DAT’s primary buisness was trucks. Pictured left is a 1920 truck chassis. In 1926 , after merging with Lila, DAT stopped car production, making only trucks until car production began again in 1931. Lila cars were still available during this period. > > DATSON 1931 > In 1931 the cars were sold for a short time as Datson, being the son of Dat. Dat was the Japanese word for hare, unfortunatly son sounded like the word for loss (which meant Datson sounded like “hare loss”). Later that year the name was cahnged to Datsun. The Datson was powered by a 495cc 10hp 4cyl engine. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/3 "2002-12-13T18:33:04Z")
My understanding is that the name doesn’t “mean” anything. When the name was in use, Japanese products were still considered “cheap” in the US so they tried to come up with a name that didn’t sound Japanese. Later, when that perception changed, they dropped the “Datsun” name. How they came up with Datsun, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![njufoic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/278dde/32.png) [@njufoic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njufoic)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/4 "2002-12-13T18:59:17Z")
By the way, the CEO of Nissan recently [hinted](http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=5961) that the Datsun name would soon make a comeback. Better reserve your “ICE CAR” vanity plates (“Datsun-ice car,” get it?) -Andrew L ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/5 "2002-12-13T22:34:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Someone related the joke about how this name was derived, thinking that it was true. What was the joke? RR ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/6 "2002-12-13T22:40:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RiverRunner \* > \*\*What was the joke? > > RR \*\* I need you to design an inexpensive car for me and I need it quickly. We’ll do out best when do you need it. Six weeks. Dat sun? Haj ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/7 "2002-12-13T23:10:33Z")
**hajario** provided the text, but the set-up is that a German (some say VW) engineer went to Japan looking for help and responded to the very short design estimate with “Dat soon?” ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/8 "2002-12-14T00:07:46Z")
I always thought they changed the name because it sounded too much like “ditsoon”, a perjorative term for African-Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/9 "2002-12-14T00:39:00Z")
WWII and a Datsun car factory has just been bombed to excess. A young boy is playing in his back yard when he is forced to run inside dodging falling metal. On his way in he picks up a piece of debris and, holding it up, cries: “Look mummy it’s raining Datsun cogs!” ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/10 "2002-12-14T01:00:58Z")
Since this has become a bad jokes thread I, having provided the factual answer, am entitled to post another bad joke: Q. What’s worse than raining cats and dogs? A. Hailing cabs. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/11 "2002-12-14T04:01:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skogcat \* > \*\*WWII and a Datsun car factory has just been bombed to excess. A young boy is playing in his back yard when he is forced to run inside dodging falling metal. On his way in he picks up a piece of debris and, holding it up, cries: > > “Look mummy it’s raining Datsun cogs!” \*\* Give credit where credit is due: that feghoot was written by A. Bertram Chandler and it appeared in the June 1982 issue of “Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine,” under the title “A Clockwork Lemon.” (The best issue that the magazine ever published, though I’m prejudiced. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/12 "2002-12-14T04:17:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*Give credit where credit is due: that feghoot was written by A. Bertram Chandler and it appeared in the June 1982 issue of “Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine,” under the title “A Clockwork Lemon.” (The best issue that the magazine ever published, though I’m prejudiced. 😉 ) \*\* Ah yeah, I had no idea where it came from. I could only remember the punchline (such that it is) and had to improvise the rest 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/13 "2002-12-14T04:18:27Z")
Isn’t the name Nissan derived from “Nice one!” ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/14 "2002-12-14T09:16:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally quoted by sailor \* > \*\*Dat was the Japanese word for hare, unfortunatly son sounded like the word for loss (which meant Datson sounded like “hare loss”). \*\* That part is inaccurate. “To” is one of the possible pronunciations for the “hare” character. It appears that “Dat” used to be represented by two characters that mean “hare” and “loss.” But written/transcribed any other way, neither Dat nor Datson/Datsun sounds funny or offensive in Japanese. Nissan is short for _Nippon Sangyo_, i.e. Japan Industries. It may not be an official meaning of the name, but I think it’s pretty obvious. Similarly Nikon is short for _Nippon Kogaku_, i.e. Japan Optics. This is more clear since the company used to be named Nippon Kogaku. I think the extra ‘n’ is to make it sound like Ikon, the German brand. ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/15 "2002-12-14T11:20:02Z")
[our pastor](What is Nissan?) bought one because he said it was scriptural to do so…they are mentioned in the bible. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/16 "2002-12-14T11:21:47Z")
[and again](http://www.wujs.org.il/activist/learning/calendar/months/index.shtml) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/17 "2002-12-14T12:02:00Z")
Yes, **mrcrow** , but you bought a _Nissan_, not a _Datsun_. It would make things easier for followers of the thread if you referred back to **MC Master of Cermonies** in your post. ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-datsun-mean/142557/18 "2002-12-14T16:06:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KGS \* > \*\*I always thought they changed the name because it sounded too much like “ditsoon”, a perjorative term for African-Americans. \*\* OK, I’m apparently especially dense these days, because this is the second thing in this thread I had never heard of. “Ditsoon?” RR