Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

genzai bakudan

3 views
Skip to first unread message

Ben Bullock

unread,
Oct 6, 2005, 11:40:56 AM10/6/05
to
On the web there are lots of references to (in roman letters) "genzai
bakudan" for a Japanese atomic bomb. I can't find much evidence Japanese for
this term. Can anyone give any insight into "genzai bakudan" or is it just a
repeated mistake?

I have looked in Edict but not in other dictionaries.

B. Bullock.

Paul Blay

unread,
Oct 6, 2005, 12:45:45 PM10/6/05
to
"Ben Bullock" <use...@sljfaq.org> wrote ...

> On the web there are lots

For values of "lots" that approach 233 including duplicates.

> of references to (in roman letters) "genzai
> bakudan" for a Japanese atomic bomb. I can't find much evidence Japanese for
> this term. Can anyone give any insight into "genzai bakudan" or is it just a
> repeated mistake?

I don't see that there is any obvious 'genzai' that it could be.

One possible approach would be the gen of 原子 added to
the zai of 材料 but 原材 appears to be a commonly used
existing word that means nothing like "atomic material".
It also has the drawback of finding exactly zero Google hits.

> I have looked in Edict but not in other dictionaries.

Why not? Much as I appreciate Edict it isn't the most inclusive
dictionary on the web.

Having said that it wasn't in 広辞苑 大辞林 or alc.
I also suspect that all pages that mention "genzai bakudan"
track back to the same, non-Japanese, person.

massangeana

unread,
Oct 6, 2005, 3:59:31 PM10/6/05
to
Atomic bomb was called "genshi bakudan" in Japan even before 1945.

Looks like the word "genzai bakudan" comes from the article Atlanta
Constitution article (Oct 3, 1946). Probably the writer's error.
http://www.reformation.org/atlanta-constitution.html

Paul Blay

unread,
Oct 6, 2005, 4:14:11 PM10/6/05
to
"massangeana" <ez3k...@asahi-net.or.jp> wrote ...

Given that he (apparently) spelt observers as 'OBSERVORS' and had
"genzai bakudun" as well as "genzai bakudan" in the same article you're
almost certainly right.

(I say 'apparently' because I'm going by the typed article not having the
newspaper to check).

John W.

unread,
Oct 6, 2005, 5:33:58 PM10/6/05
to

Instead of genzai could have been banzai?

John W.

Paul Blay

unread,
Oct 6, 2005, 5:49:25 PM10/6/05
to
"John W." <worth...@yahoo.com> wrote ...

> Paul Blay wrote:
>> (I say 'apparently' because I'm going by the typed article not having the
>> newspaper to check).
>
> Instead of genzai could have been banzai?

Where would I be without Google? Well, not in San Fernando.

Ben Bullock

unread,
Oct 6, 2005, 10:36:18 PM10/6/05
to

"massangeana" <ez3k...@asahi-net.or.jp> wrote in message
news:1128628771....@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

Thanks for that insight. This originates from Wikipedia. I've removed the
word and added a link to this discussion at the talk page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Japanese_atomic_program


Joseph Irwin

unread,
Oct 6, 2005, 11:09:35 PM10/6/05
to

Paul Blay のメッセージ:

> I don't see that there is any obvious 'genzai' that it could be.
>
> One possible approach would be the gen of 原子 added to
> the zai of 材料 but 原材 appears to be a commonly used
> existing word that means nothing like "atomic material".
> It also has the drawback of finding exactly zero Google hits.

The weird thing is it almost makes sense if you write it 現在爆弾.
(For some arbitrary value of "makes sense")

Joseph

0 new messages