Talk:いただきます

Usage to say grace before meals

In this phrase's usage (as a way of saying grace before meals), was it borrowed from Christianity, or did its use in this context predate the introduction of Christianity to Japan? 76.190.213.189 19:07, 12 February 2023 (UTC)

@76.190.213.189: According to the Nihon Kokugo Dai Jiten entry here at Kotobank, this usage is first recorded in the late 1500s, early 1600s, roughly around the time when Portuguese and Spanish missionaries were first active in Japan.

That said, the meaning of "humbly receive" is recorded all the way back in the 700s, and it's not much of a stretch to go from "humbly receive" to "humbly receive food". I suspect that this usage is more closely aligned with Shinto or Buddhist practices than with Christianity, but I cannot find any source that states for certain one way or the other. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 22:36, 13 February 2023 (UTC)