じゃんけんぽん
Japanese
editEtymology
editUnknown. The initial portion is likely from 石拳 (shakken, literally "stone fist”) or similar; see じゃん拳 (janken). The final portion may be onomatopoeic; compare ボーン (bōn, "kaboom!”), パンパン (panpan, "bang bang!”). Compare also はい (hai, "go! start!”), ほい (hoi, interjection used to call for attention). Attested from the early twentieth century.[1]
Pronunciation
editInterjection
edit- used to initiate a round of rock paper scissors and synchronize the start of the game
- 1903, Monbusho [Ministry of Education], Jinjō shogakko dokuhon 7.1 [Common elementary school reader]:
- みんなが、いっしょに、おにごとあそび。おにをきめるよ。『じゃん、けん、ぽん』
- Minna ga, issho ni, onigoto asobi. Oni o kimeru yo. “jan, ken, pon”
- Everyone, let’s play tag together. Let’s decide who is it. “jan, ken, pon”
See also
edit- あいこでしょ (aiko desho, interjection used to play again if players show the same gesture, literally “a tie, isn’t it”)
- あいこでほい (aiko de hoi, interjection used to play again, literally “it’s a tie, hey!”)
Nomen
edit- the cry used to initiate rock paper scissors
- synonym of じゃん拳 (“rock paper scissors”)
Descendants
edit- → Portuguese: joquempô
- → Tagalog: dyak en poy
References
edit- ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN