I am totally a random lurker (saw your comment on KJ's LJ, followed you here, saw this, got Japanese nutty), but if I may, I think I can help with a few of your questions!
what does "Sin" really mean in Japanese... and am I right in thinking that the word is related to "Shinto" somehow? I've always had the feeling the name "Sin" was chosen because of multiple overlapping meanings in both English and Japanese.
In itself, "sin" means nothing in Japanese - "sin" is impossible to write in Japanese, so "shin" is the substitute used. (Same with, oh, there's no "ti" sound in Japanese so Tidus' name is written te - i)
In Japanese, multiple words can be pronounced exactly the same way with drastically different meanings each time - it depends on how it is written. "shi" is a word that can mean "death," but it also has a ton of different meanings depending on how you write it (for example - the number 4 can also be pronounced "shi," making it somewhat "unlucky." In FFX, "Sin" is written in katakana, an alphabet used almost exclusively for foreign words -- since it is written in that way, it's written to mean the english word Sin. Sin is pronounced "shin" because there is no "si" sound in Japanese; "shi" is the closest.
"Shinto" is written 神道 - the first character means "gods" and the second "philosophy." 神 is usually read "kami" or "gami" in modern Japanese; I wouldn't say it has anything to do with FFX's Sin in this case - "shin" can also mean "sleep," "truth," "honesty," "wick," "heart," "new," and many other things, depending on the kanji used to write it. Again, since Sin is written phonetically using the "loanwords" alphabet, in FFX's case it's probably just meant to be an approximation of the english word "sin."
ETA: Also - "ShinRa" is written 神羅 - using the character 神, as you can see. The second character is "net" or "snare," so "ShinRa" when written like that means, "snare the gods." Which is fairly appropriate, really. Um~
OK. "神" is read "shin" or "jin" in the ON reading and "kami" or "gami" in the KUN. On readings are based off of Chinese readings, and Kun on Japanese only. Anyway, it literally means "god," and thus is used in a lot of anime and such. However, "shin" can mean many different things based on the kanji you use; since things like "truth" are included in them, it's a very common sound to hear. Shi as well - quite common as a sound/letter (し), or as a kanji. In addition to all of that, both sounds can be used in name kanji - normal kanji read in a different way than normal for names. So in short: when you hear the same sound in Japanese, it's rarely written the same way. Even when you see the same character, it's often read in a different way based on context. Which is five hundred times longer than you needed or wanted: my point is just that a) Sin in FFX is based off the closest pronunciation to the english word "sin," and b) if it was meant to be a Japanese word, there are many, many ones it could be, and you shouldn't assume (general you) that one sound = one way to write it, i.e, that everything with "shin" goes back to "shinto," etc.
...That was much longer than I thought it would be. I'm sorry for how intrusively rude it all was, too.
Anyway, as for the Gatta-kun --- kun is a pretty complicated honorific, but it isn't always affectionate/for someone younger than you. Basically, it's politeness on a level below -san. You'd use it on someone below you in rank at work, for example. Women use it on their male co-workers; it shows politeness but on a more equal level than -san. So Yuna isn't so much being friendly as she is being standard polite.
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branchandroot
*feels pathetic*
Date: 2007-12-19 11:04 pm (UTC)what does "Sin" really mean in Japanese... and am I right in thinking that the word is related to "Shinto" somehow?
I've always had the feeling the name "Sin" was chosen because of multiple overlapping meanings in both English and Japanese.
In itself, "sin" means nothing in Japanese - "sin" is impossible to write in Japanese, so "shin" is the substitute used. (Same with, oh, there's no "ti" sound in Japanese so Tidus' name is written te - i)
In Japanese, multiple words can be pronounced exactly the same way with drastically different meanings each time - it depends on how it is written. "shi" is a word that can mean "death," but it also has a ton of different meanings depending on how you write it (for example - the number 4 can also be pronounced "shi," making it somewhat "unlucky." In FFX, "Sin" is written in katakana, an alphabet used almost exclusively for foreign words -- since it is written in that way, it's written to mean the english word Sin. Sin is pronounced "shin" because there is no "si" sound in Japanese; "shi" is the closest.
"Shinto" is written 神道 - the first character means "gods" and the second "philosophy." 神 is usually read "kami" or "gami" in modern Japanese; I wouldn't say it has anything to do with FFX's Sin in this case - "shin" can also mean "sleep," "truth," "honesty," "wick," "heart," "new," and many other things, depending on the kanji used to write it. Again, since Sin is written phonetically using the "loanwords" alphabet, in FFX's case it's probably just meant to be an approximation of the english word "sin."
ETA: Also - "ShinRa" is written 神羅 - using the character 神, as you can see. The second character is "net" or "snare," so "ShinRa" when written like that means, "snare the gods." Which is fairly appropriate, really. Um~
OK. "神" is read "shin" or "jin" in the ON reading and "kami" or "gami" in the KUN. On readings are based off of Chinese readings, and Kun on Japanese only. Anyway, it literally means "god," and thus is used in a lot of anime and such. However, "shin" can mean many different things based on the kanji you use; since things like "truth" are included in them, it's a very common sound to hear. Shi as well - quite common as a sound/letter (し), or as a kanji. In addition to all of that, both sounds can be used in name kanji - normal kanji read in a different way than normal for names. So in short: when you hear the same sound in Japanese, it's rarely written the same way. Even when you see the same character, it's often read in a different way based on context. Which is five hundred times longer than you needed or wanted: my point is just that a) Sin in FFX is based off the closest pronunciation to the english word "sin," and b) if it was meant to be a Japanese word, there are many, many ones it could be, and you shouldn't assume (general you) that one sound = one way to write it, i.e, that everything with "shin" goes back to "shinto," etc.
...That was much longer than I thought it would be. I'm sorry for how intrusively rude it all was, too.
Anyway, as for the Gatta-kun --- kun is a pretty complicated honorific, but it isn't always affectionate/for someone younger than you. Basically, it's politeness on a level below -san. You'd use it on someone below you in rank at work, for example. Women use it on their male co-workers; it shows politeness but on a more equal level than -san. So Yuna isn't so much being friendly as she is being standard polite.