Cipango

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Italian

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Antica mappa rappresentante il Cipango – Ancient map representing Cipango

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Early Mandarin 日本國日本国 (Wade–Giles: Jih4-pên3-kuo2, IPA: /ʐ̩⁵¹ pən²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯ɔ³⁵/, “nation of Japan”, literally “Land of the Rising Sun”). Compare Wu 日本 (8zeq-pen, IPA: /zəʔ¹¹ pən²³/) (7koq, IPA: /koʔ⁵⁵/)

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /t͡ʃiˈpan.ɡo/
  • Rhymes: -anɡo
  • Hyphenation: Ci‧pàn‧go

Proper noun

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Cipango m

  1. (archaic) Japan
    Synonym: Giappone
    • c. 1300 [c. 1298], Marco Polo, Rustichello da Pisa, “155. Dell'isola di Zipangu [About the isle of Japan]”, in Il Milione [The Million]‎[1], translation of Le divisement dou monde; republished Antonio Lanza, editor, L'Unità - Editori Riuniti, 1982:
      Zipangu è una isola in levante, ch’è ne l’alto mare 1.500 miglia.
      Japan is an island in the East, 1,500 miles away at sea.
    • 1556, Francisco López de Gómara, “Cap. ⅩⅧ. Perche si chiamorno Indie [Chapter 18 - Why it was called India]”, in Augustino de Cravaliz, transl., La historia generale delle Indie occidentali[2], translation of Historia general de las Indias (in Spanish), page 18:
      quelli che hanno per grande Cosmographo Columbo credono che le chiamo Indie per l'India Orientale, credendo che quando discoperse Indie andava cercando la Isola Cipango
      Those regard Columbus as a great cosmographer believe he called it India because of Eastern India, believing that—when he discovered India—he was searching for the isle of Japan