Wasei-eigo

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Wasei-eigo (和製英語, meaning "Japanese-made English", from "wasei" (Japanese made) and "eigo" (English), in other words, "English words coined in Japan") are Japanese-language expressions that are based on English words, or on parts of English phrases, but do not exist in standard English, or do not have the meanings that they have in standard English. In linguistics, they are classified as pseudo-loanwords or pseudo-anglicisms.

Wasei-eigo words, compound words and portmanteaus are constructed by Japanese speakers on the basis of loanwords derived from English and embedded into the Japanese lexicon with refashioned, novel meanings diverging significantly from the originals.^[1]: 124 An example is handorukīpā (ハンドルキーパー, "handle-keeper"), derived from "handle" with the meaning of "steering wheel", with the full phrase meaning designated driver.^[2] Some wasei-eigo terms are not recognizable as English words in English-speaking countries; one example is sukinshippu (スキンシップ, "skinship"), which refers to physical contact between close friends or loved ones and appears to be a portmanteau of skin and kinship.^{[3]: 156–157} In other cases, a word may simply have gained a slightly different meaning; for instance, kanningu (カンニング) does not mean "cunning", but "cheating" (on an academic test). Some wasei-eigo are subsequently borrowed from Japanese into other languages, including English itself.