''Baka'' (, in
hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''.
It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' literally means "flowing" or "simple" kana ("simple" originally as contrast ...
, or in
katakana
is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...
) means "fool", or (as an
adjectival noun) "foolish" and is the most frequently used
pejorative
A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...
term in the
Japanese language
is spoken natively by about 128 million people, primarily by Japanese people and primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language. Japanese belongs to the Japonic or Japanese- Ryukyuan language family. There have been ma ...
.
This word ''baka'' has a long history, an uncertain etymology (possibly from
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
or
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning
"literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning
"literar ...
), and linguistic complexities.
Word
100px, ''Baka'' written in as ">kanji as
The modern
Japanese writing system
The modern Japanese writing system uses a combination of logographic kanji, which are adopted Chinese characters, and syllabic kana. Kana itself consists of a pair of syllabaries: hiragana, used primarily for native or naturalised Japanese wo ...
transcribes the
insult
An insult is an expression or statement (or sometimes behavior) which is disrespectful or scornful. Insults may be intentional or accidental. An insult may be factual, but at the same time pejorative, such as the word "inbred".
Jocular exc ...
''baka'' as in
katakana
is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...
, in
hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''.
It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' literally means "flowing" or "simple" kana ("simple" originally as contrast ...
, or ( "horse deer") in ''
ateji
In modern Japanese, principally refers to kanji used to phonetically represent native or borrowed words with less regard to the underlying meaning of the characters. This is similar to in Old Japanese. Conversely, also refers to kanji used s ...
'' phonetic
kanji
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
transcription; earlier ''ateji'' renderings included , , , or .
History
The first written usages of ''baka'' were during the
Nanboku-chō period
The Nanboku-chō period (南北朝時代, ''Nanboku-chō jidai'', "North and South court period", also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period), spanning from 1336 to 1392, was a period that occurred during the formative years of the Mur ...
(1336–1392), when the "Northern and Southern Courts" battled.
In the earliest example, the ''
Taiheiki
The (Chronicle of Great Peace) is a Japanese historical epic (see ''gunki monogatari'') written in the late 14th century and covers the period from 1319 to 1367. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Taiheiki''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', pp. 923 ...
'' historical epic records ''bakamono'' () being used as an insult in 1342. The
Ashikaga Ashikaga (足利) may refer to:
* Ashikaga clan (足利氏 ''Ashikaga-shi''), a Japanese samurai clan descended from the Minamoto clan; and that formed the basis of the eponymous shogunate
** Ashikaga shogunate (足利幕府 ''Ashikaga bakufu''), a ...
commander Toki Yoritō () refuses to pay obeisance to retired
Emperor Kōgon
was the first of the Emperors of Northern Court during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts in Japan. His reign spanned the years from 1331 through 1333.
Genealogy
Before his ascension to the Nanboku-chō throne, his personal name (h ...
( 1313–1364), "Yoritō, probably inebriated, loudly demands to know what kind of fool (''bakamono'') has the temerity to order him to dismount." According to Carr, "
Shinmura zuru
Zuru is a Local Government Area in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Zuru. It is also the Headquarters of Zuru Emirate. The Emirate comprises four local government areas, namely: Wasagu/Danko, Fakai, Sakaba and Zuru.
I ...
found that the original editions (fourteenth century) of the ''Taiheiki'' had ''baka'' written ;
hile
Hile ( ne, हिले) is a hill town located in the Eastern Part of Nepal, 13 km north of the regional center of Dhankuta Bazar. At an elevation of 1948 meters, it is the main route to other hilly districts like Bhojpur and Sankhuwasab ...
later
movable-type editions (c. 1600) had the characters ."
A
Bunmei
was a after '' Ōnin'' and before ''Chōkyō''. This period spanned from April 1469 through July 1487.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Bunmei''" i ''Japan encyclopedia'', p. 89 n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussba ...
-era (1469–1487) edition of the ''
Setsuyōshū
The was a popular Muromachi period Japanese dictionary collated in ''iroha'' order and subdivided into semantic categories. The title word ''setsuyō'' means "reduce usage; economize" and alludes to the ''Lunyu'' (compare the '' Kagakushū''). "Co ...
'' dictionary notes ''baka'' , which was also written (lit. "mother bride"), (lit. "horse bride"), or (lit. "break family"), means ''rōzeki'' "disorder; confusion".
Many classical Japanese texts used ''baka''. For instance, the (c. 1616) ''
Kōyō Gunkan
The is a record of the military exploits of the Takeda family, compiled largely by the Takeda vassal Kōsaka Danjō Masanobu, and completed in 1616 by Obata Kagenori. It provides some of the most detailed descriptions and statistics of warfa ...
'' military chronicle transcribed ''baka'' as .
Ihara Saikaku
was a Japanese poet and creator of the " floating world" genre of Japanese prose (''ukiyo-zōshi'').
Born as Hirayama Tōgo (平山藤五), the son of a wealthy merchant in Osaka, he first studied haikai poetry under Matsunaga Teitoku and later ...
's (1682) ''Kōshoku Ichidai Otoko'' (; "The Life of an Amorous Man"), which was a classic of the
Ukiyozōshi genre, wrote ''baka'' with the modern kanji .
Etymologies
Although the origins of ''baka'' are uncertain, Japanese scholars have proposed various
etymologies
Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words and ...
and
folk etymologies
Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...
. The two most widely cited are a
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning
"literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning
"literar ...
idiom and a
loanword
A loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language. This is in contrast to cognates, which are words in two or more languages that are similar because th ...
from
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
.
First, the oldest hypothesis suggests that ''baka'' originated as a Chinese literary "allusion to a historical fool", the
Qin Dynasty
The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin (state), ...
traitor
Zhao Gao
Zhao Gao (died 207 BC) was a Chinese politician and calligrapher. He was an official of the Qin dynasty of China. Allegedly a eunuch, he served as a close aide to all three rulers of the Qin dynasty – Qin Shi Huang, Qin Er Shi and Ziying ...
( 207 BCE) from the ''
Records of the Grand Historian
''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese hist ...
''.
This etymology first appears in the (c. 1548) ''Unbo Irohashū'' () dictionary, which glosses ''baka'' as meaning "point at a deer and say horse" (指鹿曰馬).
Namely, the
Chinese idiom
''Chengyu'' () are a type of traditional Chinese idiomatic expression, most of which consist of four characters. ''Chengyu'' were widely used in Classical Chinese and are still common in vernacular Chinese writing and in the spoken language t ...
''
zhǐlù-wéimǎ'' (; lit. "point at a deer and call it a horse", Japanese ''Shika o Sashite Uma to Nasu'') meaning "deliberate misrepresentation for ulterior purposes". Zhao was an infamous minister who served the first emperor
Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shi Huang (, ; 259–210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China. Rather than maintain the title of "king" ( ''wáng'') borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he ruled as the First Emperor ( ...
(r. 246–221 BCE) and forced the second
Qin Er Shi
Qin Er Shi (; (230–October 207 BCE) was the second emperor of the Qin dynasty from 210 to 207 BCE. The son of Qin Shi Huang, he was born as Ying Huhai. He was put on the throne by Li Si and Zhao Gao, circumventing Fusu, Ying's brother an ...
(r. 210–207 BCE) to commit suicide.
Zhao Gao was contemplating treason but was afraid the other officials would not heed his commands, so he decided to test them first. He brought a deer and presented it to the Second Emperor but called it a horse. The Second Emperor laughed and said, "Is the chancellor perhaps mistaken, calling a deer a horse?" Then the emperor questioned those around him. Some remained silent, while some, hoping to ingratiate themselves with Zhao Gao, said it was a horse, and others said it was a deer. Zhao Gao secretly arranged for all those who said it was a deer to be brought before the law. Thereafter the officials were all terrified of Zhao Gao.
The Japanese idiom first appears in the 11th-century novel ''
The Tale of Genji''.
Kokiden flew into a rage. "A man out of favor with His Majesty is expected to have trouble feeding himself. And here he is living in a fine stylish house and saying awful things about all of us. No doubt the grovelers around him are assuring him that a deer is a horse.
Second, the most linguistically sound etymology is that ''baka'' derives from a
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
word meaning "fool".
According to the Japanese linguist and lexicographer
Shinmura Izuru
was a Japanese linguist and essayist. He is best known for his many contributions to Japanese linguistics and lexicography. In honor of him, the Shinmura Izuru Prize is annually awarded for contributions to linguistics.
Background
Shinmura w ...
,
[, p.] the
Edo-period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteri ...
scholar Amano Sadakage (; 1663–1733) originally suggested that
Japanese Buddhist
Buddhism has been practiced in Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while exten ...
priests coined the word ''baka'' from
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
.
Modern reference works give two possible Sanskrit sources for the word, ''moha'' (transcribed 慕何) "foolish" and ''mahallaka'' (摩訶羅) "stupid".
Sanskrit ''moha'' () means "bewilderment, loss of consciousness, delusion, folly" and comes from the root ''muh'' meaning "bewildered, perplexed, confused". Sanskrit ''mahallaka'' means "senile, feeble minded, stupid, decrepit" and comes from ''mūrkha'' (), meaning "dull, stupid, foolish, inexperienced; fool".
Other proposed etymologies for ''baka'' are less reliable. Two Edo-period dictionaries proposed that ''baka'' derived from: ''ōmaka'' "generous; unsparing" (''Rigen Shūran'' ) or ''bokeru'' "grow senile; dote; become feeble-minded" (''Matsuya Hikki'' ).
Related words
The same 馬鹿 "horse deer" characters that transcribe ''baka'' are also used for names in Chinese zoological
nomenclature
Nomenclature (, ) is a system of names or terms, or the rules for forming these terms in a particular field of arts or sciences. The principles of naming vary from the relatively informal naming conventions, conventions of everyday speech to the i ...
and
Japanese mythology
Japanese mythology is a collection of traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that emerged in the islands of the Japanese archipelago. Shinto and Buddhist traditions are the cornerstones of Japanese mythology. The history of thousands of year ...
.
In Chinese, ''mǎlù'' () refers to the
red deer
The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of wes ...
(''Cervus elaphus''), Japanese ''akashika'' .
''Mumashika'' is a rare alternate Japanese reading of that names a
yōkai
are a class of supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore. The word is composed of the kanji for "attractive; calamity" and "apparition; mystery; suspicious." are also referred to as , or . Despite often being translated as suc ...
demon with a horse's head and deer's body. The c. 1832 ''Hyakki Yagyō Emaki'' (; "
Hyakki Yagyō
''Hyakki Yagyō'' (, "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons"), also transliterated ''Hyakki Yakō'', is an idiom in Japanese folklore. Sometimes an orderly procession, other times a riot, it refers to a parade of thousands of supernatural creature ...
emakimono
or is an illustrated horizontal narration system of painted handscrolls that dates back to Nara-period (710–794 CE) Japan. Initially copying their much older Chinese counterparts in style, during the succeeding Heian (794–1185) and Kamak ...
") depicts it with one eye, a horse's mouth and ears, and deer horn and hooves.
Meanings
Based on
semantic
Semantics (from grc, σημαντικός ''sēmantikós'', "significant") is the study of reference, meaning, or truth. The term can be used to refer to subfields of several distinct disciplines, including philosophy, linguistics and comput ...
analyses of ''baka'' entries in
Japanese dictionaries
have a history that began over 1300 years ago when Japanese Buddhist priests, who wanted to understand Chinese sutras, adapted Chinese character dictionaries. Present-day Japanese lexicographers are exploring computerized editing and electronic ...
and thesauruses, the lexicographer Michael Carr differentiates eight interrelated meanings.
Three basic "fool; foolish" meanings distinguish ''baka''
1 "ass; jerk; fool", ''baka''
2 "ament; idiot; imbecile; fool" (
ament
Ament may refer to:
* Catkin, a cylindrical flower cluster
* Ament (surname)
* Imentet
Imentet (Ament, Amentet or Imentit, meaning "She of the West") was a goddess in ancient Egyptian religion representing the necropolises west of the Nile.
...
is a rare word for "congenitally mentally deficient"), and ''baka''
3 "blockhead; dullard; dimwit; simpleton; dolt; fool". These are found in many frequently-used Japanese expressions. Some more insulting
lexemes
A lexeme () is a unit of lexical meaning that underlies a set of words that are related through inflection. It is a basic abstract unit of meaning, a unit of morphological analysis in linguistics that roughly corresponds to a set of forms taken ...
are ''bakamono'' "stupid,fool,idiot", ''ōbaka'' "big fool damned idiot", and ''baka-yarō'' "stupid jerk, ass, asshole, dumbass". Some
compounds are ''
baka yoke'' "foolproof; idiot-proof", ''baka warai'' "foolish/horse laugh" and ''baka zura'' "foolish face; stupid look"; and some
verb phrase
In linguistics, a verb phrase (VP) is a syntactic unit composed of a verb and its arguments except the subject of an independent clause or coordinate clause. Thus, in the sentence ''A fat man quickly put the money into the box'', the words ''quic ...
s are ''baka ni suru'' "make a fool of (someone); treat with contempt", ''baka yobawarisuru'' "call (someone) a fool", and ''baka o miru'' "make a fool/ass of (oneself)".
Two extended meanings of ''baka''
4 "worthless" and ''baka''
5 "excess" expand upon "folly; foolishness". ''Baka''
4 "worthless; foolish; valueless; trifling; insignificant" is used in expressions such as ''bakageta'' "foolish; absurd; ridiculous"; ''bakana'' "foolish; silly; stupid"; and ''bakarashii'' , ''bakabakarashii'' , or ''bakakusai'' , all meaning "foolish; absurd; ridiculous". It is further used in phrases like ''baka ie'' "Nonsense!; Go on!", and ''bakana mane o suru'' "do a foolish thing; act foolishly". ''Baka''
5 "excess; foolish; absurd; extreme; extravagant" is found in a number of expressions: ''bakani'' or ''bakabakashiku'' "awfully; terribly; extremely"; ''bakayasui'' "ridiculously/dirt cheap"; ''bakane'' or ''bakadakai'' "ridiculously expensive"; ''bakateinei'' "excessive politeness"; and ''bakashōjiki'' "honest to a fault".
Three special meanings are unrelated semantic connections. ''Baka''
6 "trough shell" is a truncation of ''bakagai'' "
trough shell; ''
Mactra chinensis
''Mactra chinensis'' is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Mactridae, the trough shells.
Distribution and habitat
''Mactra chinensis'' is found living in sandy substrates in shallow marine habitats in Vietnam, ...
''". ''Baka''
7 "numbness (of limbs)" is used in the expression ''baka ni naru'' , and ''baka''
8 means "(an antique kind of) coin counter".
Usages
''Baka'', which originated as a 14th-century literary insult, has become "the most commonly used"
swearword
Profanity, also known as cursing, cussing, swearing, bad language, foul language, obscenities, expletives or vulgarism, is a socially offensive use of language. Accordingly, profanity is language use that is sometimes deemed impolite, rud ...
in contemporary Japanese.
Usages of this term can be discussed in terms of pragmatic depth, dialectal variation, and proper names.
Pragmatics
The linguistic
pragmatics
In linguistics and related fields, pragmatics is the study of how context contributes to meaning. The field of study evaluates how human language is utilized in social interactions, as well as the relationship between the interpreter and the int ...
of using
insults
An insult is an expression or statement (or sometimes behavior) which is disrespectful or scornful. Insults may be intentional or accidental. An insult may be factual, but at the same time pejorative, such as the word "inbred".
Jocular exch ...
like ''baka'' can be language specific. For instance, Japanese has fewer words for calling someone a "fool" than English.
Jack Seward recounts asking his language teacher "to prepare a list of the most stunning and forcible insults, pejoratives, and curses in Japanese", but was surprised that the "short, unimaginative, and seeming ineffectual" list had only two words: ''baka'' "fool" and ''chikushō'' "beast".
Carr proposes that intentional
vagueness
In linguistics and philosophy, a vague predicate is one which gives rise to borderline cases. For example, the English adjective "tall" is vague since it is not clearly true or false for someone of middling height. By contrast, the word "prime" is ...
explains the comparatively small
lexical field of Japanese insults.
One likely reason for the relatively few Japanese words for 'fool' is vagueness. In both English and Japanese, the words for 'fool' have meanings that vary along scales of friendly–hostile, or joking–serious. In English, at one end of a scale are words like ''silly goose'' and at the other end are words like ''stupid asshole''. And in Japanese, at one end are words like '' kamaboko baka'' 'silly chump' and at the other end are words like ''baka-yarō'' 'damn fool'. The difference is in the degree of lexical diversification along the scales of meaning. English seems to have more 'fool' words with more specificity – Japanese seems to have fewer 'fool' words with more vagueness. There are decided pragmatic and communicative advantages to such lexical vagueness. If you call me a ''stupid son-of-a-bitch'', I know exactly what you mean. But if you call me a ''baka-yarō'', I cannot be so sure of what you mean. The expression ''baka-yarō'' is one of the most insulting terms in the Japanese lexicon, but it is vague and can range in meaning from an affectionate 'silly-willy' to an abusive 'jerk-off fool'. ''Baka-yarō'' is so widely used that it has become semantically weak and vague. Such vagueness can serve to conceal hostility and thus to maintain social harmony.
Dialectal
Japanese dialects
The dialects of the Japanese language fall into two primary clades, Eastern (including Tokyo) and Western (including Kyoto), with the dialects of Kyushu and Hachijō Island often distinguished as additional branches, the latter perhaps the most di ...
show regional variations between using ''baka'' in
Kantō dialect
The Kantō dialects (関東方言 ''kantō hōgen'', 関東弁 ''kantō-ben'') are a group of Japanese dialects spoken in the Kantō region (except for the Izu Islands).In northern Izu Islands are Tokai–Tosan dialects, and in the southern isla ...
and ''aho'' or "fool; idiot; jackass" in
Kansai dialect
The is a group of Japanese dialects in the Kansai region (Kinki region) of Japan. In Japanese, is the common name and it is called in technical terms. The dialects of Kyoto and Osaka are known as , and were particularly referred to as suc ...
. In addition, the insult ''aho'' has more of a slang connotation than ''baka''. Many Japanese dictionaries treat the words ''baka'' and ''aho'' as
synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
s. "However, in Osaka and its surroundings, ''aho'' is a rather non-offensive word, whereas ''baka'' is an explosive word." Nevertheless, "In Tokyo and its surroundings, we find exactly the opposite, so you must be careful with the usage of these words."
Proper names
''Baka'' frequently occurs in
proper nouns
A proper noun is a noun that identifies a single entity and is used to refer to that entity (''Africa'', ''Jupiter'', ''Sarah (given name), Sarah'', ''Microsoft)'' as distinguished from a common noun, which is a noun that refers to a Class (philo ...
. Examples from
Japanese pop music
J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...
include albums (''
Pretty Little Baka Guy
''Pretty Little Baka Guy'' is a 1986 album by the female Japanese rock trio Shonen Knife. It was re-released in the US as side one of a record/tape, with side two being ''Live In Japan'' (see below). There have been many releases of this album i ...
'', ''
Ai no Baka'' "Love Fool") and songs ("
Suki Sugite Baka Mitai
is the first single released by Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while e ...
" "To Like
imToo Much and Look Like a Fool"). Some titles from modern
Japanese literature
Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures, most notably China and its literature. Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or , a Chinese-Japanes ...
are ''
Tsuribaka Nisshi
is a Japanese fishing-themed manga series written by Jūzō Yamasaki and illustrated by Kenichi Kitami. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic Original'' since 1979. It won the 28th Shogakukan Manga Awa ...
'' ("Fishing Fool's Diary"), ''
Inubaka: Crazy for Dogs'' ("Dog Fool"), ''
Karate Baka Ichidai'' ("A Karate-Crazy Life"), and ''
Baka to Test to Shōkanjū
, also known as ''Baka and Test: Summon the Beasts'', is a Japanese light novel series written by Kenji Inoue with illustrations by Yui Haga. The series revolves around Akihisa Yoshii, the titular baka (idiot) and his friends at Fumiz ...
'' ("Idiots, Tests, and Summoned Creatures").
English
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, ''baka'' was American
military slang
Military slang is an array of colloquial terminology used commonly by military personnel, including slang which is unique to or originates with the armed forces. In English-speaking countries, it often takes the form of abbreviations/acronyms or d ...
for the Imperial Japanese
Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka
The Yokosuka MXY-7 was a purpose-built, rocket-powered human-guided ''kamikaze'' attack aircraft employed by Japan against Allied ships towards the end of the Pacific War during World War II. Although extremely fast, the very short range of t ...
kamikaze
, officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
flying bomb. The earliest recorded usage was in ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' on May 7, 1945, "American forces have officially designated this bomb as 'baka', baka being Japanese for foolish, silly, or stupid." In modern times, ''baka'' has often been used in
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
communities. This has also led to the satirical and ironic use of ''baka'' to call someone a fool or mock anime communities, especially in
Internet meme
An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...
spaces.
References
External links
{{Wiktionary, バカ, 馬鹿
ばか【馬鹿, 莫迦, 破家】 jeKai
What Does Baka Mean in Japanese – and Why You (Probably) Shouldn’t Use It, Coto Japanese Academy
Slurs related to low intelligence
Japanese words and phrases